JAPAN’S northern-most prefecture is topping the travel wishlists of South-east Asian travellers even for first-timers to the country, trumping the regions in which traditionally popular cities like Tokyo and Osaka are located.
The finding was reported in a study commissioned by MicroAd, a Tokyo-based ad platform company, that focused on Japan’s four largest South-east Asian source markets of Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The survey was conducted from February 2-6 among 1,200 respondents from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Unsurprisingly, travel-hungry Singapore had the highest percentage of respondents who have visited Japan before at 48 per cent. Thailand, long a huge fan of Japan, was next with 29 per cent, while Malaysia and Indonesia reported 28 and 22 per cent of participants as having been to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Between both groups of travellers, those who have been to Japan indicated that they were most excited to go to Hokkaido. About 38 per cent of those participants who had visited Japan before were intent on going to the island, most known for excellent skiing, summertime blooms and seafood, while 34 per cent of those who have never travelled Japan are keen on Hokkaido.
Given that first-timers tend to travel the Golden Route (Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto), it followed that the Kanto region, where Tokyo is, was the second-most popular destination (28 per cent). In third place was the Kansai region (15 per cent), home to cultural capital Kyoto and Osaka, known otherwise as “the kitchen of the nation”. Southern region Kyushu took fourth (six per cent) while Okinawa rounded up the top five (five per cent).
For repeat visitors, Kansai (13 per cent) was the next destination of interest after Hokkaido, with Okinawa coming third (10 per cent). Kanto ranked fourth at nine per cent, tying with Kyushu.
This group spent most of their travel budgets on accommodation and shopping, while first-timers predict that attractions will take up the bulk of their money.
The findings bode well for a Japan that is aiming for 20 million arrivals by 2020, when it will host the summer Olympic Games, and wants to spread visitor arrivals beyond the Golden Route.
Bouncing back from the Great Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, international arrivals for 2014 have surpassed pre-earthquake levels to hit 13.4 million. This is up from 10.3 million in 2013, likely buoyed by the depreciation of the yen and easing of visa restrictions on Asian markets.
Singapore arrivals hit 227,900 to surpass the record 189,280 set the year before, while Malaysia sent 249,500 visitors, a 40 per cent increase over 2013, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
