Date: October 8, 2012
Japan taps SEA Muslim market.
ARRIVALS from Malaysia and Indonesia to Japan have rebounded
significantly in the past 12 months, and the Japan National Tourism
Organization (JNTO) is reaching out to court Muslim tourists from these
markets, alongside a marketing campaign to shore up Muslim visitor numbers from
Singapore.
Said Motonari Adachi, JNTO's executive director in
Singapore: “The Muslim population within Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia
shows immense potential. Demand from this segment is picking up and is expected
to increase, partly because of the introduction of multiple-entry visas in the
case of Indonesia and Malaysia, and the increase in low-cost airline capacity
between Japan and South-east Asia.
“However, in order to capitalise on these burgeoning
markets, we need to create more awareness, especially through travel
consultants, that Japan welcomes Muslims, and that we have the facilities to
cater to Muslims including the ability to offer halal food options.”
To aid travel consultants in selling Japan to the Muslim
market, JNTO will launch a guidebook for Muslim visitors by year-end. Plans are
also in place to open an office in Jakarta in April or May 2013, to act as a
point of contact and information for Indonesian travel consultants and
consumers.
In addition, JNTO has set aside part of its 2013 marketing
budget for travel consultant roadshows in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu,
Surabaya and Medan. An e-learning programme for travel consultants in Singapore,
Malaysia and Indonesia is also on the cards.
Adachi revealed that Muslim buyers from Singapore, Malaysia
and Indonesia would be participating at Japan Travel Mart (JTM) for the very
first time in November.
“We have representatives from TM Fouzy Travel & Tours in
Singapore, the Bumiputra Outbound Tours Association in Malaysia and Panorama
Tours in Indonesia attending JTM this year,” he said.
Between July 2010 and 2012, the number of visitors from
Malaysia and Indonesia to Japan grew by 29.9 per cent and 10.4 per cent,
respectively. Tourist arrivals from Singapore dropped by 14.7 per cent over the
same period.
By Linda Haden, Singapore
Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd
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