TokyoTomo Travel Guide

The financial results of Rakuten Travel for the second quarter (January 1 – June 30, 2010) turned an operating profit of 4,110 million yen, up 15.6 percent from last year, on revenue of 10,197 million yen, up 21.2 percent. The growth is attributable to a wider range of merchandise following the broader collaboration with East Japan Railway Company (JR-East) and accelerated demand of business trip reflecting the economic recovery. Gross sales in retail terms soared 22.4 percent to 172.6 billion yen, and the number of nights booked for accommodation rose 13.3 percent over last year. At the press interview held on August 5, Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman and CEO of Rakuten Inc., was quoted as saying, “Strong leisure demand worked for our good performance.”

On a quarterly basis from April to June, gross sales were up 20.6 percent to 9,080 million yen with 8.3 million nights booked for accommodation, up 13.1 percent. Actual revenue was 5,322 million yen, up 23.5 percent while operating profit was 2,040 million yen, up 17.1 percent. What is worth mentioning is that group bookings named “Ride-share” made a remarkable growth benefiting from the Twitter and the Facebook to attain half a billion yen a month in gross sales. Mikitani says this model is setting a new trend and that its monthly gross sales will reach somewhere around one billion yen by the end of this year.

Masashi Okatake, president of Rakuten Travel, disclosed that they will handle sooner or later international trips originating in foreign countries and bound for some other countries, like trips to Guam made by Chinese or Koreans, for example. They are in the process of establishing a new website for this purpose, and will soon start negotiation with hotels at the destinations for necessary arrangements.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

TripAdvisor recently announced a ranking of “Popular Japanese Hotels and Inns 2010 voted by Japanese and Non-Japanese Travelers.” None of top 10 hotels and inns selected by Japanese travelers matches with those voted by non-Japanese travelers, showed the survey.

The Busena Terrace in Okinawa tops the list among Japanese travelers. Listed in the top 10 are five luxury resort hotels in Okinawa including Hotel Nikko Alivila Yomitan Resort Okinawa (ranked second) and Club Med Kabira Beach (fourth). Resort-style hotels such as Tokyo Disneyland Hotel (ranked third) and La Vista Hakodate Bay Hotel (fifth) entered also the top 10, attracting Japanese travelers. On the other hand, among non-Japanese travelers, The Peninsula Tokyo heads the ranking, followed by Park Hyatt Tokyo. The top 10 hotels include seven hotels in Tokyo, five of which are luxury hotels of foreign-owned chain operation.

TripAdvisor also unveiled a ranking of “Japanese Inns (Ryokan) and other accommodations.” Seni Onsen Iwanoyu, a prominent Japanese inn and hot spring off the beaten track in Susaka, Nagano Prefecture, is voted best by Japanese travelers. Those in the top 10 are all Japanese inns well known for their popular hot springs. Among non-Japanese travelers, on the other hand, Capsule Ryokan Kyoto ranked first. Small and reasonably priced family-run Ryokans and guest houses seem to have attracted non-Japanese travelers.

Based on overall rating and guests’ personal comments on hotels and inns in Japan which were posted on its website during the period from July 2009 to June 2010, TripAdvisor analyzed and compiled the views for a release of the ranking.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts hosted Hyatt Fair 2010 in Tokyo and Osaka from July 28 through 30. Approximately 50 representatives from its group hotels the world over visited Japan for individual business sessions with Japanese travel agencies. At the reception held on July 30, Louis Kievit, Vice President–Sales, International Operation at Hyatt International Corporation, said demand is getting strong all in all and that business travelers are fast coming back. Recovery of leisure and group travelers is a bit tardy but is in sight, he added.

The Hyatt’s new brand Andaz made its first appearance at the fair of this sort. The brand aspires for five-star services and luxury, but with casualness. Toni Hinterstoisser, general manager at Andaz Wall Street New York, says his hotel has no valets nor concierges but provide the staff who are called “host” to take care of everything on their own for the allocated guests just like room attendants of Japanese inns. The hotels also boast of unique facilities for meetings and events catered by chefs just to give an atmosphere of being at an American home party.

Hinterstoisser said the responses from travel agencies to the new brand hotel were positive. He is eager to have business trips and package tours at his hotel as he believes the services they offer are the type of services that Japanese people are pleased with. For that purpose, the hotel management started employee trainings to teach the Japanese way of hospitality and is considering hiring Japanese-speaking staff.

Kievit is of the opinion that building mutual trust is essential in doing business in the Japanese market, so he emphasized his efforts in forging better relationship with Japanese travel agencies. Masaaki Ito, director of sales for Japan at Delta Air Lines, expressed appreciation, when making a toast at the reception, for holding Hyatt Fair again this year amid the concern that Japanese market is waning in contrast with other emerging markets. He reminded that no effort should be spared in order to achieve a sustainable growth for all parties concerned.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.