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New Zealand can expect to see more Japanese tourists this summer thanks to a partnership between Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and Japan’s largest travel agency, JTB.
The three partners have launched a new 100% Pure New Zealand retail promotion in 150 JTB stores around Japan with the goal of capitalising on increased interest from Japanese holidaymakers in travelling to New Zealand. New Zealand has become an attractive destination for Japanese tourists because of favourable exchange rates and a general increase in outbound travel from Japan as the economy starts to improve.
The promotion follows an Air New Zealand announcement that it will operate 14 additional charter flights from Japan to Auckland this summer, providing an additional 3,220 seats on the popular tourist route.
Tourism New Zealand Regional Manager Japan and Korea Jason Hill said the promotion was expected to increase bookings on JTB Look branded tours by at least 25 per cent over the coming summer. That would equate to an additional 700 Japanese visitors and a total of 3,500 travelling on JTB Look branded tours over the summer, he says.
“This is the largest ever retail store sales promotion we have run with JTB in Japan. We have distributed a whole lot of new 100% Pure New Zealand marketing collateral to JTB stores and provided seminars on travel to New Zealand for 700 of their salespeople.”
To ensure those in JTB’s busiest stores are fully informed, thirty of their top salespeople will soon have the opportunity to travel to New Zealand to get first hand experience of the product they will be selling, Mr Hill says.
The number of Japanese tourists visiting New Zealand has increased in recent months after a period of decline.
During August, 7,876 Japanese visitors arrived in New Zealand, up 41 per cent on August 2009. The average Japanese tourist spends $4,609 per visit, ranking them among New Zealand’s highest spending international visitors.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
