Japan Travel Awards promote inclusive tourism

There are so many groups handing out travel awards now that it’s almost necessary to award the awardees in order to make sense of it all. It seems like you can’t go two seconds without hearing that another organization you’ve never heard of has declared this city or that country as the next big thing […]

China’s new entry rules spur tourism, but lingering hurdles still a deterrent

During the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday in February, China recorded 3.23 million tourism-related entries, roughly the same as the festival period in 2019, the official Xinhua News Agency said in February. A big boost to these figures came in December, when China began allowing citizens of certain countries to enter visa-free for 15 days. […]

How are cats helping boost tourism in Japan’s Tohoku region?

The huge earthquake and tsunami of 2011 devastated Japan’s Tohoku region but a national park full of cats and deer is playing a major role in the area’s recovery. ADVERTISEMENT As you arrive on Tashirojima you soon realise why it’s referred to as Cat Island. Originally brought in to deal with a mouse infestation, today, […]

Japan luxury hotels target rich foreign tourists with new openings

TOKYO — Japanese luxury hotel operators are looking to open new properties designed to attract wealthy overseas tourists, expecting them to account for a large majority of guests. Palace Hotel, whose flagship property sits just across from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, will increase the number of hotels it operates across the country by 2.5 […]

Japan eyes revamp to way tourists are reimbursed for duty-free sales

TOKYO — The Japanese government is considering an overhaul to the way tourists make duty-free purchases, Nikkei has learned, in a bid to stop abuse of the system. Currently, tourists in Japan have the consumption tax deducted when purchasing items at special duty-free stores and sales counters. But some people take advantage of system and resell […]

Japan tourist spots bring back public trash cans as travel rebounds

OSAKA — With the swelling influx of international tourists into Japan following the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions, a growing number of popular tourist destinations are reinstalling trash cans on the streets in an attempt to keep from being flooded with litter. Over the past 30 years, public waste cans have been mostly removed from […]

Japan developers boost hotel investment as foreign tourists flood in

TOKYO — Japan’s real estate companies are ramping up their investments in hotels as foreign tourists return to the country with a vengeance. Nittetsu Kowa Real Estate is entering the business and will invest 40-50 billion yen (around $270,000-$330,000) in hotels over five years. NTT Urban Development will increase the number of hotel rooms it […]

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