BRAND NEW TOUR PACKAGES AVAILABLE
Vacation agencies have also documented, across the board, surges in sales associated with tour packages to Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
With demand just for travel to these three locations expected to carry on rising, the companies have launched : or are planning to start – new trip packages.
Chan Brothers Take a trip has seen a rise in enquiries concerning all three places – in particular The japanese, said senior marketing communications manager Jeremiah Wong.
Japan is topping lookups on its site, with a 30 per cent surge after the statement of relaxed take a trip regulations.
Chan Brothers will continue to expand its group tours in order to Japan to include locations like the Mie and Niigata prefectures, said Mr Wong.
This week, Chan Brothers also launched more free-and-easy take a trip packages to well-known Japanese areas like Tokyo, Karuizawa, Kyoto and Osaka.
“For The japanese, we are already seeing great demand with over 100 group tours departing until this year end. Along with Chinese New 12 months and cherry blossom season coming up in 2023, we anticipate demand to continue to increase, ” said Mister Wong.
His agency can also be looking to launch the six-day tour to Hong Kong catering to families during the college holidays.
But Mr Wong noted that reservations to the region are limited to visiting friends and relatives or business travellers : as the continued requirement of multiple tests upon arrival remains the “dampener” for tourists.
For Taiwan, Chan Brothers launched group tours in late July, in expectation of a reopening. They received “positive traction” and demand and bookings are surging now with the reducing of restrictions, stated Mr Wong.
At CTC Travel agency, overall demand for travels to Japan, Hong Kong and China have got increased by one hundred per cent compared to per month ago.
“We have been working extremely closely with our equivalent, NTOs (national travel and leisure organisations) and air carriers for the latest updates for developing and launching new itineraries for our customers, ” head of marketing and advertising Kelly Toh informed CNA.
Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan are top destinations among Singaporeans, especially during the year-end holidays, she additional.
“Although air-tickets may be limited especially for year-end vacations, we will be providing option options and dealing with various airlines, ” said Ms Toh.
MORE DEMAND TO COME
Growing demand regarding tour packages to Japan has been additional driven by the low Japanese yen, stated Hong Thai Travel’s senior marketing manager Stella Chow.
The yen provides depreciated nearly twenty per cent this year. On Sep 22, Japan intervened in the marketplace for the first time since 1998 in a bid in order to shore up the battered yen, in the wake of the central bank’s decision to maintain ultra-low interest rates that have been driving down the currency.
Booking platform Klook has registered the tenfold increase in searches for Japan since its reopening announcement, with travellers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore driving this requirement, it said within a press release on Wednesday (Sep 28).
Searches for Japan on the Expedia platform furthermore surged immediately after the particular country’s announcement, it said in a pr release.
Searches from Hong Kong for hotels in Japan saw an 11-fold raise, while searches for plane tickets grew by twelve times.
Looks for hotels and flights to Japan from Singapore and Taiwan also tripled, the booking platform said in a press release.
The Hong Thai agency has recorded a 30 per cent increase in enquiries regarding tour packages in order to Japan and a greater than 50 per cent embrace enquiries about Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It has “a few new tours” to Taiwan which are ready to be rolled out, but is certainly waiting for more improvements on entry rules there, said Ms Chow.
For Hong Kong, the agency is planning for tours to include surrounding islands like Cheung Chau and Tai O.
“However, the current regulations need PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or ART (antigen rapid test) testing and does not allow for dine-in on first three evenings upon arrival, which isn’t really suitable for leisure travellers, inch said Ms Chow.
“Demand will probably pick up when there is further easing of regulations. ”