TokyoTomo Travel Guide

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

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