Japan's Hotels Saw Rise In Average Daily Rate In 2016

Above, the Niigata Dormy Inn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's hotels saw rates climb in 2016.

Despite the rise, occupancy rates have risen during the same period with record numbers of foreign tourists visiting Japan.

According to Travel Daily Asia:

Japan’s hotel sector experienced a steady increase in ADR (average daily rate) last year. 

According to the full-year data from STR, the country’s ADR climbed 5.2% to JPY15,396 (approx. US$136) in 2016, due in part to the recovery of the yen, which increased nearly 10% against the US dollar in 2016. This marked the first time the yen had increased in value since 2011.

To read more, go here. 

Japanese Hoteliers Urged To Hold Onto Tradition

Above, a Japanese-style ryokan room in Atami. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When people visit a foreign country, one of the main draws is to experience that country's traditional culture. Who wants to go somewhere that one could find the same in Indianapolis?

This was a topic at the recent JATA T-Expo.

According to Travel Daily Asia:

‘How do you make visitors stay more nights at your property?’ was one of the questions asked to Japanese hoteliers at the recent JATA T-Expo in Tokyo. 

In a symposium entitled ‘Diversifying destinations for sustainable growth’, a panel discussed the appeal of truly local experiences – in this case, Japanese activities like seeing monkeys bathing in hot springs, wearing Yukata pyjamas and Japanese-style sandals, pottery making and traditional archery. 

Owners of local ryokans – traditional Japanese guesthouses – also discussed how they had improved sales. 

Embracing culture differences was a key theme; sleeping on tatami mats was an attraction in itself, not a comfort problem.

 To read more, go here.

Japan Becomes The Land of Rising Tourism

Above, Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, one of the world's most visited
tourist attractions according to Travel + Leisure. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The most recent blog post noted that Japan has already beat its 2013 record of 10 million foreign tourists in the first ten months of 2014.

One of the reasons cited for the growth in tourism was the devaluing of the Japanese yen.

Travel Daily Asia has an article on the booming Japanese tourist industy.

It begins with:

Japan’s tourism industry is experiencing a major upswing, as the fall of the yen makes the country an increasingly affordable destination. 

International tourist arrivals to Japan have doubled in the last decade, to more than 10 million in 2013 – the majority of them from other parts of Asia.

The article does mention that a factor that could hinder further growth in tourism, need for more slots at Tokyo's two airports, Haneda and Narita, especially Haneda.

There's one other possible hindrance to future growth: if the yen appreciates in value against foreign currencies. That would put a big damper on tourism growth pretty darn fast!

To read more, go here.

Japanese Airlines See Profits Fall

Above, All Nippon Airways displays Premium Economy seating at the L.A. Travel & Adventure Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The fall of the Japanese yen in foreign exchange has been good for travelers as their home currencies are able to purchase more yen.

On the other side of the coin, Japanese airlines have seen their profits fall due to the fallen yen.

According to Travel Daily Asia:

Japan’s two biggest airlines, JAL and ANA, both experienced a significant fall in profits in the first three quarters of the financial year, as rising fuel costs and a weak Japanese yen impacted results. 

But despite this downturn, the two airlines still produced strong figures. JAL posted a net profit of JPY123.5 billion (US$1.2bn) for the nine months ending 31 December 2013, down 17.1% year-on-year, while ANA’s net profits shrank 36.2% to JPY33.3bn (US$326 million). 

Both airlines posted a significant rise in operating revenues, with JAL’s rising 5.1% to JPY989.9bn and ANA’s increasing 7.1% to JPY1.21 trillion. But this increase of turnover was outpaced by rising operating expenses. JAL’s costs increased 8.7% while ANA’s climbed 11.5%.

To read the full article, go here.