Spotlight on Japan - Edition 2

It has been three months since your last update. What recent changes are impacting life in Japan now?

The annual ‘tsuyu’, or rainy season, has just ended and Japan is experiencing fine weather with record high temperatures and extremely humid conditions.

COVID-19 continues to impact on daily life in a significant way in Japan. There has been steady progress with the vaccination rollout, however as at the time of writing (23 July), only around 23 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated. The Japanese government aims to provide vaccinations to all those who wish to be vaccinated by around October or November this year.

The ‘Delta variant’ is driving higher infection rates, with over 24,000 new infections in the past week (up over 50 per cent week-on-week), and 107 deaths. A new state of emergency is in place in Tokyo and some other major urban areas. Under these restrictions, which are largely voluntary, people are urged to stay home and work remotely as much as possible. Restaurants and bars are banned from serving alcohol and must close by 8pm. However, foot traffic at major locations continues to increase. Mask-wearing rates are close to 100 per cent, which no doubt serves to temper infection rates below where they would otherwise be.

As has been widely reported, the COVID-19 situation has affected Japanese public opinion towards the Olympics. The Opening Ceremony was held last Friday and this, along with almost all other events, was held without spectators. In good news, the Olyroos have already had a great win against Argentina in soccer and of course Brisbane has been announced as the host city for the 2032 games.

Election season is approaching, with an election for the President of the Liberal Democratic Party due around September. This election will determine if current Prime Minister Suga remains in the position or is replaced by another leader.

What is the general sentiment within the Japan tourism industry?

There is no denying that the Japanese tourism industry is in a very difficult situation, due to the fact inbound and outbound international travel has stalled, and domestic tourism demand is low given the state of emergency and ongoing COVID-19 infections. 

Despite the current position, there is a sense of optimism that recovery will be strong and steady once restrictions begin to lift. 

We continue to see a high degree of interest amongst frontline travel agency staff (many of whom are still stood down) in the Aussie Specialist training program. Recent live Aussie Specialist Program webinar broadcasts from Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, and other locations have proved very popular.

Consumer interest in Australia remains strong, with recent Tourism Australia research (CDP, Feb 2021) confirming that amongst major tourism destinations, Japanese consumers rate Australia in the top two for ‘consideration’, ‘awareness of experiences’, and ‘intention to visit’.  JAL, Jalpak and Narita Airport, in conjunction with Tourism Australia, operated an Australia-themed charter in June that saw 168 paying passengers take a three-and-a-half hour inflight Aussie adventure, with Australian inspired inflight meals, entertainment, inflight videos, and competitions. Passengers were chosen by lottery as the flight was oversubscribed five times - another example of how Australia continues to resonate so strongly with Japanese travellers.  

On 15 July, Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism, and Investment, the Hon. Dan Tehan MP, held a roundtable meeting in Tokyo with Tourism Australia and senior leaders of key distribution partners. The meeting discussed the pathway to market reopening and reaffirmed Tourism Australia’s strong commitment to the Japan market. All representatives present, including major wholesalers and airlines, confirmed that destination Australia remains highly important for their future plans. All the representatives present, who included major wholesalers and airlines, confirmed that destination Australia remains highly important in their future plans, and undertook in an unprecedented Memorandum of Understanding to do all possible to work towards a strong recovery once borders re-open.

What are Tourism Australia’s plans for the year ahead?

We will be ready to go with a major integrated marketing and distribution campaign to drive conversion, as soon as borders re-open. Initial planning discussions are already underway with state and territory tourism organisations, Key Distribution Partners and airlines. 

Right now, our strong social media presence continues across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, highlighting the best that destination Australia has to offer. 

The Japanese media has a great appetite for stories and content about Australia, with over 740 articles generating A$134 million in equivalent advertising value published in the past 12 months as a result of our PR activities which continue uninterrupted this year. 

Along with the major themes of ‘nature and wildlife’, ‘food and drink’, ‘cities’, and ‘aquatic and coastal’, this year we will place even more emphasis on awareness of Indigenous experiences and sustainability. Our work with the Japanese industry, increasing their understanding of the growing number of Indigenous tourism experiences is a great opportunity. There is a high level of interest in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in Japan and we will capitalise on this to showcase the great work being done by the industry in Australia with new and emerging products.

And finally, please share your top three reasons why you believe the Australian industry should stay in touch with the Japanese market this year?

Japan has been a major source market for inbound tourism for many years, being number 5 in 2019. The relative importance of Japan for our industry is likely to increase even further as we emerge from COVID-19 and move into the recovery and growth phase.

The Japanese industry sees Australia as a stable, long-term market growth opportunity and in recognising this, the Australian industry should do all possible to maintain and strengthen existing business relationships and forge new links with Japan.

As we all know, just ‘checking in’ with friends and colleagues is so important in these challenging times, including for mental health and well-being – likewise keep in touch with your contacts in Japan – they will really appreciate it.