The Outbound Promotion Council (JOTC) of JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agents) held its general meeting on April 14 at TIAT SKY HALL in Haneda Airport Terminal 3.
JOTC is a council of about 180 organizations, including travel agencies, tourism bureaus, embassies, airlines, airport companies, and tour operators, established in 2017, which presides over the “Overseas Travel Promotion Project” to further stimulate demand for overseas travel.
Mr. Jun Sakai, Chairman of JOTC and President of Hankyu Express, who took the podium at the beginning of the meeting, mentioned that the new coronas will be classified as category 5 under the Infectious Disease Control Law from May 8, and expressed his hope that “the barriers to overseas travel will almost disappear. He expressed his hope that this would be the time to take a step forward and change the tide in some way. We will not let the project end with a fireworks display, but rather take our time over the course of a year to achieve positive results,” he said enthusiastically.
He also said that the industry as a whole, not just travel agencies, must work to promote overseas travel, and called on participants to “make this year the first year for the revival of overseas travel, and I hope that the projects promoted by JOTC will be a catalyst for this revival.
Takashi Ikemitsu, Deputy Director General of the Japan Tourism Agency, who took the podium next, said that inbound tourism is on a recovery trend, and if China shows the same recovery as other regions, the number of inbound visitors to Japan in 2023 is expected to exceed 24 million, approximately 74% of the 2019 figure. On the other hand, he said that the recovery of outbound travel has been slow and that this is an area that needs to be focused on in the future. He reiterated the importance of inbound and outbound travel, saying, “Inbound and outbound travel should be two wheels of the cart. We must aim for two-way human exchange, which in turn will stimulate global economic activity.
Mr. Ikemitsu also explained that the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Tourism Nation, approved by the Cabinet at the end of March, sets targets for both inbound and outbound tourism to exceed 2019 levels by FY2025, and mentioned that on March 15, the Japan Tourism Agency announced a “policy package for a full-scale recovery of outbound tourism. He also mentioned that the Tourism Agency announced a “policy package for full-scale recovery of outbound tourism” on March 15, and said, “This is a very challenging goal, but we will work together with everyone in the industry to achieve it. We would like to work together with people from a wide range of fields to boost the industry, and aim for an early recovery to normalcy.
At the general meeting, Masahiko Inada, Director of JATA’s Overseas Travel Promotion Department, reiterated the overseas travel promotion project, stating that the number of outbound travelers in 2023 is expected to be around 10 million, and that JATA plans to achieve the target of over 20 million outbound travelers in 2025, as stated in the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Tourism Nation, through continuous and multifaceted campaigns. The policy is to achieve the target of over 20 million departures by 2025 through continuous and multifaceted campaigns.
The project is implementing four campaigns. As previously reported, the first overseas travel support posting campaign, targeting “early adopters” who are highly motivated to travel overseas, is currently underway until May 31. By submitting photos and comments taken at overseas travel destinations via a special campaign website, participants will be entered into a drawing to win an overseas trip, airline tickets, etc. Currently, approximately 100 submissions have been received. The company aims to increase awareness of the campaign through announcements at travel agencies and airline companies.
The next campaign, “Local Generation Z’s Best Recommendations! This is a campaign to encourage young people to travel abroad, and promote things that are popular overseas through Twitter posts.
The “Summer Travel W Campaign” will run from May 15 to August 31, and will be divided into three parts: “Tavinaca Convenience Goods,” “Tavinaca Local Privileges,” and “Travel Ato Prize Presents. Details will be announced in mid-May.
In addition, from May 15 to September 30, a campaign to support the cost of obtaining a passport will also be offered to those who travel abroad from July to September, with the tourism bureaus sponsoring the cost for each destination. At present, a total of 3,000 people will be selected by lottery to receive an electronic gift worth 8,000 yen. The first phase of the campaign will run until the end of August, but due to the high media attention at the time of the announcement, Mr. Inada said that a second phase is under consideration, although the content may be different.
In addition, he also presented the results of a survey of 8,247 JOTC webinar participants. The response rate was 4.1%, but he said he was able to gather the real voices of travel agency field staff.
The survey results showed that reservations increased due to the March 13th relaxation of mask wearing, and that consumers are concerned about participating in overseas travel because they believe that “soaring travel costs” and “high prices” are the most common reasons for their concerns. Other popular destinations for bookings from March onward include East Asia and Europe, with an increase in solo travelers and honeymooners, in addition to travel with friends and family. On the other hand, many staff members believe that package tours will shrink and OTAs will increase their presence in the future.
© Source travel watch
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