Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, is one of the famous tourist attractions in the area, attracting millions of tourists from home and abroad every year.
However, the sudden outbreak hit the business of nearby stores. Fortunately, the Japanese border has been reopened, allowing them to regain their vitality, and we look forward to welcoming more tourists back by the end of this year.
Kawaguchiko District, located near the capital Tokyo, is one of the "Fuji Five Lakes". The first choice for many travelers.
However, shops in the Kawaguchiko District told reporters that the epidemic for more than two years has brought a huge blow to their business. The number of tourists has almost dropped to zero, and business has plummeted by more than 80%.
Located on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi, the Tominoko Onsen Hotel was opened in 2001. It has 92 rooms, most of which can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mount Fuji, so it attracts many tourists to book. The occupancy rate during the peak period is as high as 97%, and it is almost full every day.
Fortunately, the Japanese government resumed allowing foreign tour groups to enter in June this year, and then fully opened the border in mid-October. The business of these stores has finally improved.
Since the beginning of October, foreign tourists including tour groups have gradually returned, and the overall business has improved by 20% to 30%.
Prepare for the tourist season
December is the peak tourist season in many countries, and some stores have also said that they have started preparations to welcome more tourists back.
Located on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi, the Kawaguchiko Natural Living Museum is one of the best spots to capture Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. In addition to selling specialties and souvenirs, the store also sells coffee and ice cream, providing visitors with a place to rest.
According to the deputy curator, as many as 75% of foreign customers came to visit during the epidemic, and the current customers are mainly locals. However, she expects foreign tourists to return by the end of the year, so the store has started preparations, including completing the duty-free process and expanding the souvenir sales area.
"We have some medical supplies, hats, and T-shirts that customers buy as souvenirs, so we are planning to increase the number of these items and establish a new sales area. There have been some products that have been labeled so that foreigners understand. But there are still some things that need to be sorted out.”
Travel agencies receive more inquiries
Since there were no tour groups entering Japan during the epidemic, some travel agencies had to lead their teams to live broadcast and sell Japanese-made products to foreigners, and at the same time retain all employees.
Now that Japan has reopened its borders, tourists are starting to return. The person in charge of JCT Japan International Business Travel Co., Ltd. directly said that "the reception capacity is a little bit behind", and the sales volume is even better than before the epidemic.
Many travel agencies lost a large number of employees during the epidemic, and the number of travel agencies that are still actively operating has decreased, resulting in the pressure of receiving foreign tourists falling on the existing travel agencies.
In this regard, the current priority of the travel agency is to do a good job in the reception work in December. Next year, we will plan to expand the reception capacity of the travel agency and deepen product development, hoping to bring customers a better experience of visiting Japan.
