The Hawaii Tourism Authority, Japan Branch (HTJ) held the “Japan Summit 2024″ at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu on April 25, Hawaii local time.
Local suppliers and Japanese travel-related companies gather on Oahu, a major tourist destination, for seminars, business meetings, and social gatherings to exchange information that will lead to the development of travel products and strengthen sales in preparation for the full-scale resurgence of travel to Hawaii. This year’s event was the largest ever, with a total of 25 Japanese companies, including JTB and HIS, OTAs such as Expedia and Rakuten Group, airline companies such as ANA X and Jalpak, and wedding companies, as well as 62 local suppliers, totaling approximately 290 participants.
Hawaii’s overall inbound numbers recovered to 9,644,519 (-7.15% compared to 2019) in 2023, compared to 2019 before the Corona Disaster, when the number of inbound passengers exceeded 10 million. The number of passengers from within the U.S. was particularly strong at 7,426,047 (+8.06% over 2019), while the number of passengers from Japan remained at 572,978 (-63.65% over 2019).
The latest figures show that the number of Japanese departing in February 2024 has increased to 63.8% compared to the same month in 2019, with a slight improvement in bookings after this Golden Week. Advance bookings for affluent and repeat business class travelers are progressing well, and the number of bookings after summer 2024 (summer vacation, Silver Week, and year-end and New Year’s holidays) is approaching the number of bookings in 2019.
Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Mitsue Varley, Director of the Japan Office of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, expressed her enthusiasm for showing Japanese travelers a new Hawaii by focusing promotional efforts on the third and fourth quarters of the year. We would like to share a lot of information with you on how to bring back the Japanese market, which is slowly recovering,” he said.
The dollar-yen exchange rate has fallen to the 155-156 yen range, the weakest level in 34 years. The fuel surcharges of airlines are also expected to increase by several thousand yen after June, and the situation continues to be difficult,” he feared. However, the average package cost in April 2024 is 398,600 yen for 4 nights (Paris is 399,400 yen for 4 nights), which is almost the same as Europe (the average length of stay in Hawaii has increased from 5 to 8 nights and the unit price per trip has also risen).
He emphasized the importance of “how to motivate people to travel to Hawaii” in order for Hawaii to rise to the top, given the popularity of Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, as well as Europe and Dubai in the mid- to long-haul, and Australia and Canada, which are also investing resources in the Japanese market.
The main targets for the Japanese market are couples, families, active seniors, golfers, and wedding/honeymoon travelers. Keynote speeches were given by Ms. Natsuko Kimura of Expedia Holdings, Ms. Kana Nakanishi of Mynavi, and Mr. Ryudo Yamamoto of Yomiuri Advertising, who explained trends among Japanese travelers, Hawaii wedding trends, and the use of social media. They shared their strategies and ideas for strengthening sales promotion of travel products.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority has been developing various media platforms such as TV commercials, social networking campaigns, and corporate collaborations under the slogan, “Go Abroad First”! Under the slogan, “After all, it’s Hawaii,” the Hawaii Tourism Authority will continue to promote the wonders of not only Oahu but also the neighboring islands in 2024 through a variety of media platforms, including TV commercials, SNS campaigns, corporate collaborations, and other activities.
This year’s Hawai’i Expo, an event to experience the real Hawai’i in Japan, will be held June 1-2 in Ebisu, and Tourism Expo Japan 2024, the world’s largest travel event, will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from September 26-29, with a solid budget and expanded pavilion. The company also plans to expand the scale of its pavilion to showcase Hawaii’s presence.
© Source travel watch
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