Top Japanese travel agency to lure more tourists from China

A top executive of one of Japan's major travel operators has said that his company would adopt a new business strategy to lure more tourists from China and elsewhere in Asia to visit new destinations, especially in western Japan.

In an interview with Xinhua, Hiroyuki Takahashi, president of JTB Western Japan Corp., said that his company has started up a new project this month that exclusively targets the international visitors by selling them optional "Experience Kansai" travel plans. These include several round-trip tours in the region, guided one- day excursions and even dinner plans, many of which should prove enjoyable for independent travelers at destinations in eight of western Japan's prefectures.

According to Takahashi, the new plan consists of 50 different courses such as the World Heritage Site Walking Tour and the Kimono Wedding Photo Plan. The tours are named to make it easy for foreign visitors to choose destinations that suit their interests and schedules.

For example, the Traditional Ryokan with Onsen package provides a two-day itinerary with a stay at a Japanese inn and hot spring. The inn is one of the region's most venerable sites because it is located in the well-known hot spring resort of Kinosaki, northern Hyogo Prefecture.

Prices for the tour, which include train tickets, dinner and breakfast, start from about 28,200 yen (about 360 U.S. dollars) per person and range up to 36,900 yen (about 470 U.S. dollars), depending on the season and the number of travelers on the tour.

Also among the plans is a two-day trip to Hiroshima by JR Shinkansen (high-speed train).

According to JTB Western Japan, at the moment visitors are able to book these plans only after their arrival in Japan, mainly over the phone, but Takahashi promised to upgrade the booking system so that they can book plans in advance. The company, Takahashi said, will be able to complete its on-line booking system by the end of the year. Takahashi also said the company would increase the volume of sales made through tie-ups with travel agencies in China, where his company has already obtained permission from the Chinese government.

Takahashi said JTB Western Japan attributes the start of the new business to the recent emergence of new low-cost carriers ( LCCs) based in Japan, as well as to the increasing number of independent tourists among Asian travelers visiting western Japan, especially from China.

The Japanese travel industry has enjoyed a full and rapid rebound in the Asian market since last year's earthquake and tsunami. According to Takahashi's office, an estimated 3 million foreign visitors, including nearly 1.5 million tourists from China, visited the Kansai area in 2010.

On the subject of government collaboration, Takahashi believes the Japanese government should undertake more measures to facilitate tourism, especially in outlying cities and areas that are worth visiting by foreign tourists, by making them more attractive and accessible.