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HONG
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CANADA
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EUROPE
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USA
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SINGAPORE
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THAILAND
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Philippines |
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Japanese Package Tours; How o Get Them To Your Resort |
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Source: The Philippine Diver |
Author: Heneage Mitchell |
Date: 1999-08-24 |
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JAPANESE PACKAGE TOURS
HOW TO GET THEM
Japanese SCUBA diving package tours are becoming more popular again with each
passing season, according to one of the leading tour operators in Japan, Akira
Uehara of Universal Touring Corporation of Tokyo.
Mr. Uehara has been packaging and marketing specialized SCUBA diving tours to
the Philippines since 1979. Back then, there were only three dive stores in Tokyo.
Diving was mostly in the domain of the commercial and military fields, and business
was not brisk, recalls Mr. Uehara. It took all of three years of diligent marketing
before the business started taking off. UTC is one of the few operators
specializing in SCUBA diving packages, and they have built an enviable reputation
over the years. They send their sales teams to the Philippines to dive and to
experience the resorts and dive services they market. Personal sales calls are
made directly to the more than 500 dive stores and schools across Japan,
supported by brochures and other sales materials. The experience the sales team
has with the dive sites and facilities they are marketing means that they can
easily answer any questions divers may have about the destinations on offer,
something most other package operators cannot match. As a result, UTC has a
great advantage in the SCUBA diving package tour market (there are estimated to
be over 500,000 active divers in Japan today).
Japanese divers tend to prefer travelling in groups because of the potential
language and cultural problems which individual travellers often encounter in
foreign countries. It is not uncommon for Japanese visitors to the Philippines and
elsewhere to find themselves paying more than posted prices for services ranging
from hotel rooms to boats, equipment, and dive guides. By purchasing their
vacation through a reputable travel agency, Japanese tourists are able to pay
fully for everything (except drinks) before leaving their country, thereby relieving
themselves of much of the stress and worry which they may otherwise encounter.
While Guam and Saipan, through their proximity to mainland Japan and because of
their clean waters, are the favourite destnations for Japanese dive travellers, the
Philippines is rapidly becoming more popular. As the Japanese winter is at its
harshest between the months of October to March, the Philippines is an ideal
get-away for the harried Japanese salary man and executive alike. Increasingly,
young Japanese women are signing up for dive packages too, further
demonstrating the potential of safe, reliable package tours. In fact, the main
limitation to market growth is the limited number of seats available on planes flying
to Manila and Cebu. Many of these are taken up by non-diving visitors.
Typically, a package tour from Japan lasts 5 days and 4 nights, usually spanning a
weekend to minimize time off from work. Usually, 6 dives are included, as are all
transfers, meals, tanks, weights, dive guides and boats. Some instructors prefer
to bring their students to the Philippines to teach them, especially during the
winter months, when, according to Mr. Uehara, ?only maniac divers get in the
water?, due to the water temperature and prevailing conditions.
So how can a local dive operation wishing to cash in on the burgeoning package
tour market go about it? Mr. Uehara offers the following advice:
1: Define the services on offer accurately and honestly. Prospective clients want
good dive site descriptions and need to know what brands of equipment are
available and what other amenities are around, such as sailing, golf courses,
shopping, local tours, etc.
2: List all facilities of the resort(s) you are marketing. Is it airconditioned? Does it
have adequate water supply, is hot water available? What sort of meals are
served? Bear in mind that more Japanese lady divers are buying packages, and
they usually prefer comfort and convenience.
3: Include accurate prices for everything: don?t try to load additional revenue on
anything. UTC, in common with most other Japanese agencies, don?t charge a
commission to the resort/dive operators: instead, they put their mark-up on the
price charged to the clients.
Mr. Uehara points out that guests must be satisfied or they will not return,
Success in his business is measured by the number of clients who repeat. Some
UTC guests have returned to avail of their services 20 times and more.
For more information on marketing your resort or dive centre in Japan, contact Mr.
Uehara at UTC, Yagyu Building, 1-15-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, Tel.: (03)
3226-8651, fax (03) 3352-8463.
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