New market research promises more foreign visitors to Osaka (2)

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

Kunio Kano, the executive director of the Osaka Government Tourism Bureau who decided to conduct the market research, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that despite its 1400-year history and unique culture, Osaka, which has a 24/7 airport and advanced transportation systems plus various accommodations, is not as well- known as Kyoto or Tokyo, noting that he would take steps to make Osaka better known as a major tourist destination in western Japan where a number of World Heritage Sites, for example, are located.

Kano also said visitors to Osaka cannot only see traditional aspects of Japanese culture but also enjoy Osakan entertainment such as the "karaoke boxes" and conveyer belt sushi bars that spread across the area decades ago.

However, Kano admitted that foreign visitors' "unfamiliarity" with Osaka thus far has been due to an insufficiently proactive attitude among local authorities to attract "foreign" tourists as a way to boost the local economy. He also stressed the need to analyze four basic factors in such market surveys: the number of tourists, money spent, length of stay and satisfaction. "Over the past decades, we have only stuck to our own menu, so to speak, instead of listening to what foreign guests say they want in Japan." Kano added, "If we're going to compete with other destinations in Asia such as Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore, we must be flexible and understand the trends and characteristics of each visitor group and what they expect of us, otherwise they will choose other destinations."

Based on this marketing strategy, Kano's office has now set an ambitious goal of 2.6 million foreign tourists to Osaka in the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2013, 4.5 million in fiscal 2016 and 6.5 million in fiscal 2020. Kano pointed out that one-fourth of all visitors to Japan choose their destinations after conducting their own research.

Kano emphasized that if you carefully read the Chinese characters that form the Japanese word for "tourism," you will understand that tourism, not like many other industries, is the act of seeing the light of a country, with the ultimate purpose being to show people what makes the place shine and engage in communication between visitors and residents. Thus, Osaka must make better use of its people in order to play a leading role in promoting the tourism industry.

In line with this powerful concept, Kano's office is now planning to launch a new tourism campaign this autumn promoting the "Asian Gateway of Osaka" to foreign tourists in order to reach the targets it has announced.

We Recommend

• Helicopters, tanks seen during China-Russia joint drill
• Conjoined twins separated in groundbreaking surgery
• Magnificent First Bend of the Yellow River
• Pakistan celebrates Independence Day
• 3D painting, new way to promote apartment sale
• Eat your way to glowing skin