Japan taps SEA Muslim market

ARRIVALS from Malaysia and Indonesia to Japan have rebounded significantly in the past 12 months, and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is reaching out to court Muslim tourists from these markets, alongside a marketing campaign to shore up Muslim visitor numbers from Singapore.

Said Motonari Adachi, JNTO’s executive director in Singapore: “The Muslim population within Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia shows immense potential. Demand from this segment is picking up and is expected to increase, partly because of the introduction of multiple-entry visas in the case of Indonesia and Malaysia, and the increase in low-cost airline capacity between Japan and South-east Asia.

“However, in order to capitalise on these burgeoning markets, we need to create more awareness, especially through travel consultants, that Japan welcomes Muslims, and that we have the facilities to cater to Muslims including the ability to offer halal food options.”

To aid travel consultants in selling Japan to the Muslim market, JNTO will launch a guidebook for Muslim visitors by year-end. Plans are also in place to open an office in Jakarta in April or May 2013, to act as a point of contact and information for Indonesian travel consultants and consumers.

In addition, JNTO has set aside part of its 2013 marketing budget for travel consultant roadshows in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Surabaya and Medan. An e-learning programme for travel consultants in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia is also on the cards.

Adachi revealed that Muslim buyers from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia would be participating at Japan Travel Mart (JTM) for the very first time in November.

“We have representatives from TM Fouzy Travel & Tours in Singapore, the Bumiputra Outbound Tours Association in Malaysia and Panorama Tours in Indonesia attending JTM this year,” he said.

Between July 2010 and 2012, the number of visitors from Malaysia and Indonesia to Japan grew by 29.9 per cent and 10.4 per cent, respectively. Tourist arrivals from Singapore dropped by 14.7 per cent over the same period.

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