Japan is eyeing greater spending by international travellers to revive its ailing tourism and hospitality sectors following the relaxation of the country’s border rules.
Inbound tourism was a key growth driver of Japan’s economy pre-pandemic, and now the Japanese government is hoping it can offer some economic solutions post-Covid as well.
Prime minister Fumio Kishida has pledged to increase total spending by inbound tourists to five trillion yen (US$35 billion) annually, a target higher than the pre-pandemic spending by overseas visitors in Japan in 2019, which totalled a record 4.8 trillion yen.
Kishida said the government will “maximise the advantage of the weak yen” to reinvigorate the Japanese economy, noting that it could inspire greater spending by inbound visitors. A Japan Hotel Association spokesperson agreed that “with the weak yen, travelling to Japan is much more affordable”.
Kishida has asked ministers to draw up a policy package for a quick recovery by the end of October, and revise the country’s basic plan for tourism promotion by March 31, the end of Japan’s fiscal year.
Interest in Japan among international travellers has been strong throughout the pandemic, even when entry restrictions were in place. Indeed, Japan was ranked the most desired destination to visit in a survey of 6,300 people in 12 countries, carried out by the Development Bank of Japan in October 2021.
Now that border restrictions have been eased, the travel trade is optimistic that Japan will see an uptick in spending by inbound travellers.
Still, concerns remain that China’s zero-Covid policy, which continues to restrict international departures from the country, will hamper Japan from reaching its new financial goal.
In 2019, Chinese visitors totalled almost 10 million, accounting for 34 per cent of all tourism arrivals in Japan, while their spending amounted to 1.8 trillion yen, equating to 36.8 per cent of all inbound visitor spending.
Noonan has a deep knowledge of the travel industry, and brings a dynamic set of experiences across consumer brands and digital business models. His background includes over 30 years of experience in various corporate finance and capital markets roles.
Before joining Centara, he was executive assistant manager at ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kobe.
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Radisson Hotel Group’s (RHG) upgraded Radisson Rewards loyalty programme promises to fast-track guests towards exclusive benefits and advance VIP members to the highest tier twice as fast as before.
Benefits includes in-stay privileges such as complimentary upgrades, F&B discounts and additional experiences, as well as post-stay benefits such as the option to make a stay carbon neutral by redeeming points to offset the footprint of their stay.
The new programme has also been simplified with just three tiers – Club, Premium, and VIP. The new Discount Booster for future reservations will allow members the choice to boost their discount by reducing the number of points they earn.
With the new dynamic redemption model, members can book any room type in any hotel, and will be able to use their points how and when they like, with the flexibility to choose how many points to use for an Award Night or combine points with cash for room bookings and hotel services.
Radisson Rewards aims to be more personalised and to provide an enhanced digital experience for members. Members can quickly access information such as their previous bookings, invoices, favourite hotels, and much more.
Travel professionals will also be able to earn and redeem points when booking for others – the flexibility of the programme allows them to share their points with other members, use them to book meeting and event spaces, and earn extra points upon new member referrals.
Radisson Rewards plans to expand its current portfolio through global partnerships across three key pillars – new travel, financial, and sustainability – to bring more value to members.