Tourist trains will run on new routes in the next year and a half
An inbound tourism boom is being observed in Japan, and it has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In Russia, according to tour operators, the current season in Japan is one of the best in history, despite the lack of direct flights, high prices, and a shortage of hotels on peak dates, the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (RSUIT) reports.
"Among the reasons are the reorientation from European destinations and the availability of Japanese visas, which Russian tourists can easily obtain in 4-5 days," - the message on the RSUIT website says.
According to the union, more than 14.5 million foreign tourists visited Japan in the first five months of this year, which is 70% more than last year.
"The surge in demand was stimulated by the record weakening of the yen. Japanese authorities are already talking about "overtourism" and the possibility of raising prices in this sector," - the message says.
In the ITM group, the total number of tourists on this route in 2024 compared to 2023 has tripled, and almost five times compared to 2019, said Irina Yurina, the head of the tour operator's product development department.
"This "Japanese" spring really surprised us, considering the lack of direct flights and the overall high cost of tours.Summer is also selling well," - RSUIT quotes Yurina.
At the same time, according to her, the flow of individual tourists is also growing.
"I think the reason for such popularity of Japan is the reorientation of tourists to new excursion destinations. At current prices for flights and logistics in general, it is already comparable in cost, for example, with Europe. At the same time,there are no visa problems with Japan. Despite the political tension between our countries, the visa is issued in 4-5 days,and tourists themselves can easily arrange it," - the expert explained.
According to Ivetta Verdian, Director of the Department of Promotion and Advertising of BSI Group, traditionally the main demand for Japan falls on three main events - cherry blossom in spring, red maples in autumn and New Year.However, recently, tourists are increasingly interested in summer offers, in order to combine sightseeing trips around the country with relaxing on sea resorts.
"Japan is very popular with foreign tourists, so it is necessary to book trips for peak dates in advance, 3-4 months in advance. Now, for example, is the ideal time to book a tour to admire the maples, when tours for October-November with guaranteed flights and convenient connecting flights can be purchased at attractive prices," - RSUIT quotes Verdian.
In "Russian Express" they said that classic routes, such as "Classic Japan + seaside отдых" are especially popular. "The prospects for autumn are excellent. Autumn tours, for example, "to the maples", are the most popular ones, as the heat subsides and pleasant weather sets in. We expect demand to grow four times compared to last year, especially since hotel prices have not increased since last year," - noted the tour operator's PR Director Anna Filatovskaya, quoted by RSUIT.
