Japan says it is continuing to enjoy soaring demand from the UK market as it sticks to its strategy of encouraging more trips away from the main tourist trail year-round.
The destination has reported a 38% jump in UK arrivals to 320,000 for the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year. Last year visitor numbers surpassed pre-Covid levels.
Airi Motokura, executive director of the London office of The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), said: “Japan is on trend. Many operators are saying to us that even if they are not selling Japan, clients are asking for it.
“The numbers show very strong demand globally, not just from the UK, and it’s very encouraging.”
Motokura said the fact direct flights had not been reinstated to Osaka from London post-Covid meant some UK visitors were now turning to Chinese-owned airlines to travel to Japan. Around 20% of all UK arrivals were now on Chinese carriers, she said, which often also offer cheaper fares.
She said the tourist board was continuing to focus on less well known regions such as Kyushu Island, the Shimanami area, and beyond Osaka, to give visitors a reason to return to Japan a second time.
“Travellers tend to go on the classic tour to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima but our mission is to get them to continue on to less well known regions,” she said.
The JNTO is working with UK tour operators to include other regions in their tours, she said.
The tourist board will also continue to promote travel year-round next year, to move away from the heavy focus on the spring cherry blossom season.
She said: “We are planning online marketing and promotions with airlines to encourage people to go out of season. We have four beautiful seasons in Japan, you can even go in January and February, it’s not so cold in Toyko and it’s a better time because there are less crowds and air fares are more affordable.”
She added: “Our key message is that Japan is not only about the cherry blossom season.”
The exchange rate has continued to be favourable for the UK. “The time to go is now,” she stressed.
Next year is the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which is expected to boost interest in visits, while a lareg technology and innovation expo in Osaka is also anticipated to increase visitor numbers to the destination.