Japan keen on MICE business
SYDNEY – The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) hosted a MICE seminar last week to promote Japan as a meeting and incentive destination.
More than 80 meeting and event planners, airlines and media attended the seminar which was designed to provide participants with information about Japan’s world-class facilities and venues, unique cultural experiences, and professional support available to MICE business professionals.
Representatives from the Japan National Tourism Organization, Fukuoka Convention and Visitors Bureau, JTB Global Marketing and Travel, Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Hilton Hotels Japan, Sheraton Grande Bay Tokyo, City of Tokyo and Travel + Leisure Australia + New Zealand attended the function which included a seminar, networking session and reception.
Japan National Tourism Organisation, Sydney office executive director, Jotaro Horiuchi says Japan is an unexplored, fresh, and unique destination for the MICE market.
“Japan is a [newly] emerging destination for Australian FIT travellers, but as a MICE destination, its profile [in past years] has been rather low,†Horiuchi said.
“But since the Japanese government launched the Visit Japan Campaign six years ago, Japan has been transformed into a destination capable of accommodating not only FIT travellers from overseas but also MICE groups from overseas.â€
“Japan has 51 cities and resorts registered as international convention cities.â€
Last year, Japan was recognised as the world’s most preferred country for conferences and conventions in the Country Brand Index 2008, a study conducted by FutureBrand, a leading global brand consultancy.
The study, which saw Japan ranked above the US, Singapore, Germany, Canada and Switzerland, cited Japan’s meeting facilities, intriguing locales and technological advantages as the merits which earned it top position.
A journey with Tetsuya Wakuda
“Japan is an ideal site for international conferences and a destination for incentive tours,†said Horiuchi.
“With a unique combination of professional support, traditional hospitality, ultra-modern convention facility complexes, safe, clean cities, and a richly varied choice of venues, Japan is becoming highly favoured by meeting planners worldwide.â€
Travel + Leisure Australia + New Zealand Editor, Anthony Dennis, was guest speaker at the seminar, sharing with guests his experiences from a two week culinary journey through Japan last October with Tetsuya Wakuda, of Tetsuya’s restaurant in Sydney.
The Japan National Tourism will continue MICE promotions in Australia as part of the Visit Japan Campaign which is aiming to attract 10 million visitors per year to Japan by 2010.
Last year a record number of Australians went to Japan with the combined number of leisure, business and stopover travellers totalling 242,000.
The number of travellers visiting Japan as their main destination totalled 145,000, another record high for Japan.
Ian Jarrett
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