Incoming tourism from Japan

BY TOMIE MCCARTHY, HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN TOURIST GUIDING

When I started working as a travel agent in Malta in 2007, most Japanese tourists used package tours, since tours were mainly sold through travel agencies in Japan. Their main promotion was either through their websites or brochures displayed at travel agencies’ offices. Most people who had booked expensive private tours were wealthy people or people who had already travelled around the world so that customers sought a new destination. However, the relationship between Malta and Japan is not limited to the travel industry.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALTA AND JAPAN?

The Diplomatic relationship between Malta and Japan started in 1965, after Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom. But before that, during World War I, Malta was a British colony, and a detachment of His Majesty the Japanese were stationed in Malta to protect Allied ships in the Mediterranean from enemy naval attacks. In June 1917, the Japanese destroyer ‘Sakaki’ was bombed near Crete by an Austrian U-boat, killing many of the crew on board. There is a Japanese war memorial commemorating that at Kalkara Naval Cemetery in Malta. Family members of the deceased sometimes visit to lay flower wreaths or may be included in group tours. [Shiga, 2022] On the other hand, the economic relationship between the two countries is also active. Successful Maltabased companies export tuna to Japan. The tuna industry is a major part of the Maltese economy and a major export commodity to Japan. On the other hand, Japanese secondhand cars are imported and have been popular for many years.

Before Covid-19 the number of Japanese tourists annually in Malta was around 25,000, and an additional 4,000 English learning students [Times of Malta, 2022].

The number of visitors from Japan now is three times more than when I started to work in Malta in 2007. The study shows that this boom started around 2013 [Bank, 2020]. One of the reasons was the number of flights via the Middle East such as Emirates, Turkish Air, and Qatar air increased, making it easier to access Malta, thus Japanese people’s interest in Malta increased. Also, Malta has become recognized even by the younger generation through digital marketing tools such as Instagram, Twitter, and LINE, which is a common social media application in Japan. A youth-targeted marketing strategy resulted in increased sales of low-cost tours.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE JAPANESE ECONOMIC SITUATION AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

As in other countries, Japan is experiencing a raised cost of living and energy prices, higher airfares due to rising fuel surcharges, along with depreciation of the Japanese Yen. Moreover, many airlines are still reducing the number of flights from Japan to Europe, and there are no direct flights to Malta, so it will take time for the number of tourists to return to as they were pre-Covid-19.

HOW TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY TO RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER COVID-19 CRISIS AND ITS ECONOMIC CRISIS,

Compared to 15 years ago and before the Covid-19 pandemic, Malta has become more accessible, however, mass tourism has often fallen into price competition, and the focus has been on accepting a large number of tourists rather than quality of their trips.

Travel agencies should create niche tours, of a high quality that competitors do not offer, along with, other ordinary tours throughout the year. They should market to wealthy, retired customers who would love to visit

World Heritage sites in the low season in Malta, where there are cheaper flights, cheaper hotel rates, and good weather for sightseeing.

They should continue to target language students for the young generation using digital marketing, while distinguishing themselves from competitors, and adding internship proposals that are also attractive for students. ITS provides a variety of courses giving an opportunity for many students, including many foreigners, making it a great selling point for Japanese students who wish to continue learning and seek their future career path, who would also love living in Malta.

In Conclusion, high-quality service and niche tours can be marketed and sold throughout all seasons, along with general year-round tours that bring a constant stream of people to Malta, and brings them back too. This is a very important element for sustainable tourism, as well as for the Maltese economy, which requires regular, as well as new, eager tourists.

References

BankWorldThe. (2020). International tourism, number of arrivals - Japan. : World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files: https://data.worldbank.org/ indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?locations=JP hersey.jp/interview-maltese-ambassadorjapan-andre-spiteri/23904/

ShigaHersey. (2022 29 June). Hersey. : Interview with the Ambassador of Malta to Japan H.E. André Spiteri: https://www.

Times of Malta. (2022 28 September). Japanese showing commitment opeing embassy Malta: https://timesofmalta.com/ articles/view/japan-showing-commitmentopening-embassy-malta-ian-borg.983711.