Asians warm to Japan's Alpine Route

Hannah Koh, reporting from Visit Japan Travel Mart 2013, Yokohama, November 29, 2013

TOURISTS from South-east Asia are gaining a foothold on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route linking central Japanese prefectures Toyama and Nagano, a route regarded a rival to ever-popular Hokkaido.

Accessible only between April and November each year, the route offers visitors a chance to get up-close to the iconic snow walls in Murodo that reach almost 20m at their peak.

“Travellers can land in Nagoya and exit through Tokyo or vice versa, visiting destinations like Takayama or Shirakawago in Gifu prefecture and Matsumoto city in Nagano along the way," said Ryota Nishiyama, chief for overseas sales centre, Tateyama sales promotion department of Tateyama Kurobe Kanko. “Our main rival is Hokkaido, and so we are working with the prefectural governments around us to challenge them.”

He added: “Thailand is our top source market in South-east Asia. The number of Thai visitors so far this year has hit 8,000, doubling last year’s 4,000. Singapore’s share has grown from 1,000 to 1,500 and Indonesia’s from 1,400 to 2,500.

Having recorded a 40 per cent rise in travellers to the Alpine Route, JTB Malaysia senior consultant for retail product, outbound division, Regine Ma, expects the surge to continue into 2014, boosted by AirAsia X’s recently launched service from Kuala Lumpur to Nagoya (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 18, 2013), a three-hour’s drive from Toyama prefecture.

Also improving access to the area is the shinkansen service that currently only reaches Nagano, which will be extended to Kanazawa by March 2015 to allow passengers to drop off at Itoigawa station closer to the Alpine Route.

Golden Discovery Express Bangkok CEO, Adith Chairattananon, sees potential in selling Alpine Route tours to the Thai market. He said: “Tateyama will be famous among South-east Asians within the next three to five years. Thai people want to see mountains and snow as they do not have that opportunity (in Thailand).”

Boby Hendry, director of Chan Brothers Travel Indonesia, said with increased promotions from the Japan National Tourism Organization, the Alpine Route is gaining traction among Indonesians, most of whom are second-time travellers to Japan.

Asked what is necessary to bring more people to central Japan, he said: “We need advertising support to promote the beauty of the area. With awareness, people will make enquiries and then we get the business.”

Sourced: ttgasia