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CONGLOMERATES, BUREAUCRACY HINDERING JAPAN’S TOURISM
Japan specialist says incoming tourism may need a boost from smaller, innovative agencies
SAN FRANCISCO -- December 12, 2002 -- For centuries, Japan has fascinated Western travelers with its elaborate customs and trademark aesthetics. Japan’s mystique is perpetuated by an ongoing hesitancy to open its doors fully to the outside world.
Kyoto, for example, is a thoroughly modern city with an elaborate rail system and a bustling downtown area brimming with office buildings, department stores and labyrinthine shopping arcades. Turn down a narrow alleyway, however, and you find charming entrances to traditional, exclusive tea houses. amany of these establishments are closed to the general public, accessible only through an invitation. They are salient reminders of a feudal era when Japan was completely isolated from the rest of the world, during which it evolved into one of the world’s most fascinating cultures.
So why are tour operators having trouble capitalizing on Japan’s numerous points of appeal? In a recent article in the Honolulu Advertiser, a head executive from Japan’s largest travel agency was quoted as saying that he was ‘irritated’ because potential tourists view Japan as a business destination – additionally, tourists still believe that Japan is too expensive, too far and ‘too inscrutable.’
The troubling issue is that Japanese tourist organizations’ efforts have not effectively countered these notions. At a recent travel industry convention in Honolulu, the Japan National Tourist Organization’s booth reportedly displayed pamphlets and promotion materials nearly identical to those used 20 years ago (scenes of Mount Fuji accented by cherry blossoms is the image most widely used - or ‘abused’).
Event planners and incentive specialists from abroad have reportedly found it difficult or impossible to work with Japanese travel agencies. Complaints often cite the agencies’ rigid policies regarding special requests; others claim that agents are “unresponsive” or “remiss” in delivering price quotes and itineraries on time. Traci Foster, an executive from Los Angeles-based International Travel Incentives, Inc. relates her recent experiences: "I have an incentive client who was most anxious to bring a group to Japan. It took over four months of unrelenting communications with various Japanese travel agencies and destination management companies, and I still could not get a workable proposal. It appeared that there was a complete lack of comprehension or willingness to provide the necessary information. Fortunately, as we were about to redirect our efforts to another destination, we were introduced to GHA Travel. I am happy to say that with GHA's professionalism, industry knowledge and responsiveness, Japan has excitedly become our client's choice for 2003."
Founder and President Gregory Howell of G H A Travel, a San Francisco-based travel company specializing in Japan travel and tourism, claims that these agencies are largely to blame for Japan’s deficit of incoming tourism. “Clients come to us distraught because they were told numerous times that certain parts of their itineraries wouldn’t work. Prior to finding G H A, some agencies had basically given up on organizing a group tour to Japan,” Howell says. “Most of the clients’ special requests are totally feasible – it’s just having the know-how to make them happen.”
Recently the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) announced that the US and Japan have signed an agreement to jointly promote tourism and increase the number of incoming tourists to each country by 20% over the next five years. Similar initiatives have been implemented in the recent past with little to no measurable result. Howell believes that the recovery of Japan’s tourism industry may ultimately depend upon the promotion efforts of small and medium-sized businesses that regularly bring tourists to Japan: “I believe that the government may realize its goals most efficiently by supporting the smaller, more innovative businesses that know how to market Japan to visitors.”
Gregory Howell & Associates, Inc., dba G H A Travel, is a full-service travel management company specializing in the development, planning and execution of customized travel programs and events for corporations, organizations and individuals.
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If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Gregory Howell, please call Jennifer Hale at (415) 241-0123 or email Jennifer at Jennifer@ghatravel.com.
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