SYDNEY November 25, 2015 – Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Sydney Office hosted an exclusive media event on Monday night at Toko Sydney with Lonely Planet, to celebrate the recent announcement that Japan is the number two country to visit in 2016.
The event included a presentation by Lonely Planet’s Asia Pacific Sales & Marketing Director Chris Zeiher, who explained Best in Travel and the reasons Japan was selected in the 2016 Best Countries list. He stated, “Japan is one of the world’s most desirable travel destinations right now. It offers travellers a veritable bento box of experiences – from urban adventures in its futuristic cities, to moments of reflection and meditation in pristine wooded countryside. Japan is a destination that can be sampled in a short break or discovered through a long stay. Equal parts fast and slow, traditional and modern, vibrant and authentic, there’s no better time for travellers to experience the variety of Japan than in 2016.”
JNTO Sydney Executive Director Ms Mariko Tatsumi was thrilled to be celebrating this achievement. “We are really proud that the global publication Lonely Planet has selected Japan as the number 2 country to visit in 2016. We are also thankful for the ongoing support of travel agents who directly inspire Australians to travel to our country”, she said.
JNTO Sydney also announced that upcoming promotional efforts will be heavily focused on digital marketing, with plans to launch a new website early next year and a new e-learning program for travel agents. JNTO Sydney’s all-new online presence can already been seen with the launch of an Instagram account (https://instagram.com/visitjapanau/) this month and renewal of the facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VisitJapanAU/). In the coming months keep an eye out for an innovative social media campaign with great prizes on offer.
One lucky attendee, Stephanie Williams, won a dinner voucher to Toko for coming 2nd closest in the guessing game. The game involved guessing the weight of the JNTO’s creative come to life – heaps to fit in.
Japan is more popular than ever, with the latest statistics released by JNTO showing visitor numbers to Japan are the highest ever on record. Preliminary figures for January to October 2015 show a 48.2% increase from the previous year with 16,316,900 foreign visitors in total (297,200 Australians, up 22.4%), already breaking last year’s records.
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel
Photo: Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher