THE Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) debuted its first-ever booth dedicated to Muslim travellers at this year’s MATTA Fair, where JNTO and Japanese suppliers were confident that the country’s Muslim-friendly facilities and recent visa waiver (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 26, 2013) would entice more Malaysians.
Susan Maria Ong, deputy director, JNTO Singapore Office, said the booth in the consumer show was meant to provide information on the Muslim facilities available in Japan. Staff manning the booth were equipped to answer questions from the Malaysian public and distributed travel guides for Muslim visitors that JNTO rolled out this year (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 19, 2013).
Japan’s tourism stakeholders are also beginning to invest in Muslim-friendly facilities to lure more visitors.
For instance, the New Kansai International Airport Company is in the midst of setting up three prayer rooms within Kansai International Airport’s Terminal 1, to be completed by March 2014. It will also ensure halal meals as well as pork- and alcohol-free menus at 16 restaurants within the airport from November 2013.
Atsuko Yamakawa, PR manager, tourism exchange division, tourism bureau, Wakayama Prefectural Government, said these initiatives would make Muslim visitors more comfortable travelling through Kansai International Airport and result in more of them visiting Wakayama, a 30-minute ride away by train or bus.
She also shared that the Wakayama government’s tourism bureau is promoting self-drive holidays as a new product for leisure visitors, and homestays to the youth market.
Likewise, Toshimune Suto, South-east Asia area manager, inbound marketing, Kamori Kanko Group, said the company’s four hotels are all equipped with prayer spaces and serve Muslim-friendly meals. The group manages Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention, Yubari Resort, Art Hotels Sapporo and Tokachi Sahoro Resort.
He is anticipating 30 per cent year-on-year growth in the number of Malaysian Muslim travellers to Japan over the year-end school holidays.
The first half of 2013 saw 71,500 arrivals from Malaysia, and JNTO is aiming to reach 160,000 Malaysian tourists for the full year.
