AsiaTravel News

‘Unwanted consequences’ may affect Japan’s well-meaning tourists

“Japan welcomes business!” “Kyoto desires your return!” “Reserve now before the crowds!”

With the lifting of almost all entry restrictions on October 11, Japan is one step closer to resuming normalcy before closing its borders in early 2020. The operative word here is “closer” — in absolute terms, the country may still be a long way from embracing life as it was before the pandemic.

For travel agents in Japan who are currently dealing with an influx of requests from eager would-be tourists, getting one message across is critical: Japan is open, but not everything is back to normal.

“Many of the tourists (we deal with) are unaware of the risk of being quarantined in Japan for a week or so if they have symptoms and are tested positive,” says Seiichi Chada, CEO of travel agency Michi Travel Japan. “Explaining this risk to prospective clients may be discouraging for them, but I believe it is our responsibility to let them know, because quarantine in a hospital or designated hotel in a foreign country would result in significant inconveniences and unfavorable outcomes.”

Many of Chada’s employees at Michi Travel Japan have heard from prospective tourists that Japan’s current COVID-19 precautions “lag behind” those of other similarly advanced countries, according to Chada. While that same phrase might have meant a lack of vaccine access or a scarcity of hospital beds in the early stages of the pandemic, global opinion (with the exception of anti-vaxxers) has shifted 180 degrees. Many people now regard Japanese society’s prevalence of mask wearing and the numerous remnants of preventative measures (social distancing in some restaurants, mandatory temperature checks, and hand sanitizer upon entering facilities with cramped quarters, to name a few) as an overly cautious holdover from a bygone era.

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Indeed, during a recent trip to Kanazawa with a newly arrived group of tourists, several in the mostly American crowd asked me if I could explain why Japanese people continue to wear masks despite the lack of any government mandate. Many Japanese people have already come to terms with the prevalence of these face coverings, but this is not the case for visitors accustomed to the societal norms of their home countries.

Nonetheless, Chada claims that the vast majority of tourists have adopted a “when in Rome” mentality.

“As far as our customers are concerned, tourists to Japan are well aware of the various COVID restrictions and norms. They recognize the importance of doing as the Japanese do when visiting Japan.”

What is correct today may not be correct tomorrow. Those who are eager to enter Japan as soon as the borders reopen are unlikely to be first-time visitors, but rather travelers who already have a connection to the country, whether through friends and family in Japan or simply fond memories from previous trips.

In short, no one should be concerned about this first wave of inbound tourists fitting in with Japan’s eccentricities. According to Chada, they are mostly “repeat visitors to Japan who respect the Japanese way of doing things.”

If things remain stable, or if an increase in cases in the coming fall and winter months causes businesses to impose more stringent precautions as more visitors arrive, all bets are off in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom and crowds, both foreign and domestic, swell.

Inability to accommodate

With all of the online debate and excitement surrounding Japan’s reopening on October 11, it’s easy to forget that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s announcement came only three weeks before. With such short notice, the average traveler, particularly those in Western countries preparing for vacations at home, was never going to drop everything and board the first flight into Narita or Haneda.

That may be for the best, given that Japan’s domestic hospitality industry requires its own time to recover after years of dormancy.

“Our industry has shrunk slightly in the last two years, which is consistent with global trends,” says Chada.

Another travel industry consultant who requested anonymity told Reuters even more bluntly.

“Because the hospitality industry is notorious for low wages, financial assistance or subsidies are likely required if the government views tourism as a key industry.”

mask japan

Japan cannot simply flip a switch and restore pre-pandemic service levels. Hotels have reduced employee numbers to match low demand, and hiring and training new or even experienced replacements takes time. It’s also reasonable to wonder if the last few years have completely turned employees off from careers in hospitality, as the industry’s low wages for work that puts employees in direct contact with customers of all backgrounds are no longer a compelling recruiting pitch.

“Unfortunately, our industry has not had enough experience dealing with international guests, so we will face a challenge in maintaining quality service,” says Chada.

The concept of omotenashi is heavily used in tourism marketing in Japan (a cultural concept of effusive hospitality). Consider social media ads that border on cultural caricatures: kimono-clad geisha deeply bowing toward a potential customer are not uncommon, depending on your search history. But what happens when hordes of tourists unable to communicate in Japanese collide with the current skeleton crew of hotel and restaurant staff, who are mostly overworked, underpaid, and only able to communicate in foreign languages based on brief, rote scripts provided by management?

It’s not a hopeless situation, but it’s far from a recipe for success in terms of sending tourists home with nothing but positive things to say about their stay in Japan.

But what about all those travel experts who hailed the pandemic’s silver lining as driving travelers to more remote locations to avoid the health risks inherent in densely populated cities? Couldn’t that relieve some of the pressure on Tokyo and Osaka hotels by redistributing some of the demand elsewhere?

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Not likely, says Chada, and certainly not anytime soon.

“During (the pandemic), we read many articles saying how COVID will change the preferred destinations shifting from urban cities to outdoors, and I agree with the view to some extent,” says Chada. “This is partly because, for the most part, people’s basic desire to travel does not change dramatically.”

“We believe that destinations such as Shikoku, which are lesser-known but very appealing to repeat visitors looking for authentic Japan, will become more popular in 2023 or later.”

Yes, Japan is welcoming, and yes, Japan wants you back. But, even if it won’t say it, Japan requires a little bit of patience from all those eager visitors.

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