japan 33
seeker Attention
Japan has fully bounced back from a couple of tough years after the 2011 tsunami and nuclear reactor disaster and is carving a reputation as a diverse, affordable and quirky destination with few equals, says Karl Cushing
Matsumoto Castle, also known as ‘Crow Castle’ due to its creepy black exterior
J
apan’s tourism industry is enjoying some serious sustained growth and a fl urry of new products and dynamic destinations are jostling to grab a slice of the increased demand. What’s more, as JTB’s Clive Buckingham notes, thanks to the 40% depreciation in the yen since 2012, Japan is “more affordable than it has been for years”. Having attracted 10 million visitors for
the fi rst time in 2013, last year saw Japan welcome 9.7 million visitors from January to September alone, with UK visitors up a healthy 14%. Looking forward the feel-good factor is sky high, with myriad infrastructure projects planned ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, a year in which Japan hopes to attract 20 million visitors. Hotspots include tropical Okinawa - “a great beach destination to relax and unwind,” according to Emma Mitchell, Destination Manager at Hayes & Jarvis, which is offering post-tour extensions there for 2015/16. Meanwhile, the 2013 launch of both the luxurious and high-tech Seven Stars sleeper train, which offers two different trips around the island of Kyushu, and KLM’s groundbreaking Amsterdam-Fukuoka service are translating into increased brochure space for Kyushu. Ones to watch include Kanazawa, which will benefi t from the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line extension on March 14. Fans include InsideAsia Tours Agent Sales Manager Matt Spiller. “Kanazawa is a great little city on the Japan Sea coast with one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan and small samurai and tea districts. It’s also one of the few places in Japan where there are still working geisha” he said. UK operators are unabashedly bullish. Explore saw record double-digit growth in booking numbers last year, helped by two new tours, while Assistant Product and Purchasing Executive Susan Chia says “passenger numbers to Japan have grown phenomenally” for Travel 2, fuelled by its Cruise Plus business and optional pre- and post-cruise stays. Mitchell says Hayes & Jarvis has seen
“a real spike in enquiries and bookings”, primarily for private tours, while JTB notes increased interest in tailor-made trips and honeymoons and Cox & Kings reports its 10-night Japan’s Cultural Treasures is now its best-selling Far East escorted tour. Virgin Holidays is meeting demand by adding local experiences such as Kyoto Cycling Tours, visits to a Sake Museum in Osaka. Offering local experiences is also
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