DESPITE recent reports of further radioactive leakages at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima nuclear plant, Malaysian travel consultants spoken to have recorded no cancellations or postponements in year-end travel bookings to Japan.
Cooper Huang, CEO, Malaysian Harmony Tours & Travel, said: “The (affected area) is far from popular tourist spots such as Hokkaido and Osaka.”
Instead he noted: “We’re getting new bookings for tour packages to these destinations, and also more enquiries from the Muslim segment for our autumn and winter tour packages to Japan.”
Huang also expected that AirAsia X’s conversion of its four-times-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Osaka flights to a daily service (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 23, 2013) would further stimulate the FIT segment, as the company would “benefit from selling ground packages to them”.
At the same time, Apple Vacations & Conventions’ group managing director, Desmond Lee, reported that the company had not received any enquiries from customers regarding safety issues.
Japan continues to be a hot-selling destination for high-income groups looking for a leisure destination as well as for the incentives market due to the visa waiver in that came into effect in July (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 26, 2013), he said.
To capitalise on growing demand for Japan tours, the company has organised six charters to Hokkaido between December 4 and 29 to coincide with the year-end school holiday period.
Meanwhile, one hotel company TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to said its hotels in the Tokyo area continue to see strong rates and bookings.
Kenji Goto, representative director of Hotel Okura, said: “Our group is on target to see at least a 10 per cent year-to-date increase in revenue versus the same time last year. Higher occupancies (rather than higher room rates) are definitely a factor as we have seen more overseas visitors (this year).”
The group, whose stable of brands comprise the four- to five-star Okura Hotels & Resorts and Nikko Hotels International and the three- to four-star Hotel JAL City, has posted strong occupancies of between 75 and 97 per cent at its Tokyo properties.
Additional reporting by Hannah Koh
