Tag: Japan tourism

The Japanese government’s plan to revive domestic tourism has run into rough weather, just 48 hours before the launch of its new travel campaign. The campaign, Go To Travel, has been designed to give a helping hand to the pandemic-ravaged tourism industry but policymakers are unable to set details on the contentious subsidy programme with citizens pointing to possible health hazards, a Japan Times report says. The campaign is scheduled to start off from July 22. The programme subsidizes domestic travel in Japan, with the government providing up to half of the costs of travels. Each tourist can get a ... Read more

The government plans to begin a contentious travel initiative next week as planned, despite a resurgence in new coronavirus cases, by excluding hardest-hit Tokyo from the campaign. Trips by residents of Tokyo and journeys to and from the capital will be ineligible for the government’s subsidy program, which will begin on Wednesday in a bid to spur domestic travel, tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba told reporters. “We will commence the campaign, as we ask both the lodging industry and travellers to take measures to prevent the spread of the virus in the remaining 46 prefectures,” Akaba said. The government plans to ... Read more

The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) has announced that the Tourism EXPO Japan (TEJ) will be organized at the Okinawa Convention Centre from October 29 to November 1 this year as originally scheduled.  The event will be organized by following the public health guidelines drawn by Japan Exhibition Association and in line with the Okinawa Prefecture’s action plan ‘Okinawa Tour Style With Corona.’  The event will be downsized from 600 booths originally to 450 booths, probably 80 international booths to avoid congestion, and the deadline of applications for the exhibition has been extended by July 31, 2020. Under the ... Read more

The tourism industry in Japan is showing signs of a gradual pickup after the novel coronavirus crisis dealt it a severe blow. According to a Japan Times report, many lodging facilities that resumed business after the lifting of the government’s coronavirus state of emergency in May are seeing a gradual recovery in reservations this month, mainly from local customers. Financial aid from local governments for regional tourism has also contributed to a pickup in demand. However, inbound tourists from outside Japan remain almost non-existent, and concerns over a second wave of coronavirus infections linger. “Cancellations of domestic travel reservations have ... Read more

Japan’s tourism players are adopting new marketing strategies to remain relevant in the minds of travellers. From moving products online to introducing deals and greater flexibility in bookings, the stakeholders are trying their best to communicate with their potential visitors. For example, Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo has launched The Boutique, a website selling food, beauty products, bedding and other luxury items from the brand. The campaign is designed to keep the hotel, top of mind for visitors, until they feel ready to book again, according to a report in TTG Asia. True Japan Tours has also moved online to offer virtual ... Read more

There are talks in Japan about subsiding holidays of international travellers, to draw them in. Japan has witnessed the worst passenger arrival numbers in its history due to the pandemic, and is looking at ways to restart tourism. In fact, the Japan Tourism Agency has proposed paying foreigners half the cost of taking a holiday in Japan. According to various reports, the head of the Japan Tourism Agency, Hiroshi Tabata, said that he’d developed a subsidy plan costing $12.5 billion to entice travellers back to Japan, commencing as soon as July. To be clear, it’s a plan and not set ... Read more

In a parallel event to the 14th Philippine Business Mission (PBM) for tourism held in Japan, President Rodrigo Duterte met with leaders of the Japanese travel industry and invited them to invest in the Philippines, stating that now is the best time. The tourism and travel sector stand to benefit from the Build, Build, Build program, which has a number of ongoing transportation infrastructure development projects to achieve seamless travel to and around the archipelago. Organized by the Department of Tourism, the travel industry meeting with the President was a historic occasion, signaling the importance held by Japan as the ... Read more

What we love about Japan in Autumn? The stunning Fall Foliage that changes the moods and colours of the entire country — and it’s not just in October! The special part is that Japan changes into Fall colours from early October all the way to the end of December, and this is also variable due to different plant species and climates in this stunning country that makes for a visual treat. Here is the ultimate guide to the best autumn foliage viewing spots in Japan: The act of viewing autumn leaves is called “momiji-gari” in Japanese. So enjoy ‘momiji-gari’ Japanese ... Read more

The Japan National Tourism Organization has announced that more than 30 million overseas travelers visited Japan in 2018, an all-time record and an 8.7 per cent increase over 2017 (the previous record year). “Tourism to Japan from the United States – about 5 per cent of the total – soared 11 per cent,” said Naohito Ise, Executive Director of the Japan National Tourism Organization in New York, “with more and more Americans seeking beyond the classic tourism destinations of Tokyo and Kyoto to discover lesser-known parts of the country.” In 2018, America’s two most influential travel magazines gave travel to ... Read more

Japan has introduces a ‘departure tax’ for those travel abroad via flight or ship. The tax came into being from Monday, 7th January 2018. Infants under 2 years of age and travellers who transit within 24 hours are exempted from the tax. 1000 yen (around USD 9) is the tax per individual. The purpose of the tax is to create new revenue, which will be utilized for improving the travel services and to provide travellers with better facilities, especially in rural areas. Legislation has passed in this regard in April 2018. As per government officials, the move is to increase ... Read more

Every year, around millions people from all over the world visit Japan to explore the country and its rich and fascinating culture, a number that is ever increasing. In various locations around the metropolis, Japan organizes accessible short programs that offer foreign visitors and others the opportunity to gain authentic first-hand experience of traditional culture and performing arts, and programs that provide a deeper understanding by combining hands-on experience with the viewing of performances. We have compiled the top traditional cultural experiences for foreign visitors to get to know Japan first-hand! From the Traditional Japanese Dance Workshop to Kabuki, one ... Read more

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has declared the winners of the JAPAN Best Incentive Travel Awards 2018, which recognizes outstanding Japan incentive travel. This year marks the third time these awards are being presented. The awards are organised with the aim of increasing the understanding and motivation of parties involved in the MICE industry in both Japan and overseas through the recognition of examples of the best practices for Japan incentive travel. Award Winners: Best Incentive Travel was bagged by Comfort Travel Service Co., Ltd./Colatour (Taiwan) and Best Creative Planning was pocketed by ‘Dancing snow in Tohoku and Hakodate’. Best Community Contribution was ... Read more

Towada Lake After bidding farewell to the Fireworks Festival of Japan, which concludes in the summers, the blue sky adopts a gentler hue welcoming the Autumn season. This is the best time to be in ‘The land of the rising Sun’. In Japan, autumn is about the transition of colours, seasonal festivals of harvesting, outdoor excursions, autumnal hikes, feasting on seasonal delights and a profusion of art and culture. The maple leaves slowly turn a shade of red & yellow and the autumn foliage reveal a breathtaking landscape at every turn! Taste the autumn With the cool breeze and freshness of autumn comes ... Read more

In a way to promote sustainable tourism that helps the local communities, seven travel companies with similar interests have associated to form Japan Alliance of Responsible Travel Agencies (JARTA). The initiative will be launched in Kyoto on June 28th. The purpose of JARTA is to design tours and sell destinations that belong to Japan’s traditional ‘Golden Route’, simultaneously aiding the local areas and the people in a great way. As per Masaru Takayama, President of Kyoto-based Spirit of Japan Travel, the association is special as most of the travel agencies wish to work independently. The members of JARTA include Spirit ... Read more

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has launched “Enjoy my Japan” global campaign in New York.  As part of the launch, JNTO unveiled a special video series to kick-off the campaign. “By starting this new Global Campaign, JNTO will accelerate promotional activities and improve on a travel-friendly environment in Japan leading-up to the year 2020,” said JNTO president Ryoichi Matsuyama. With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic games approaching, JNTO’s main mission is to introduce under-the-radar attractions and points-of-interest to Americans and international travelers. In this sense, culture is a good motivator for travelers visiting Japan and helps break barriers. 22-Time Grammy-Winning Jazz legend, ... Read more