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Kochi businesses fail to cash in on cruise ship visits

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Forget the surveying.

Most of those cruise passengers are cheapskates.. I know someone taking one in September and the price they paid is extremely cheap...people like that they take the cruise because it is "easy and cheap" and then they want shore excursions at the lowest possible price. They are not going to open their wallets much to buy stuff. The fact they are looking around drug stores tells you something about them.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It's the same problem everywhere. Cruises are a good business... for cruising companies. But not so much for the cities where they stop. Tourists pay a lot for that cruise ticket, but it's all included: a room, meals, entertainment.. So they don't really need to spend money when visiting a city, and they don't have that much time to spare anyway because these ships usually leave before sunset (so no dining and drinking at the port side).

But the impact on the city is considerable, having 5000 tourist wandering around and littering, not to mention the pollution caused by a ship that never stops its engine.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Surveys of world tourists show that the Chinese are well up there with the other big spenders.

How many shops in Kochi have Japanese speaking staff to take advantage of their new business opportunity?

its time to wake up Kochi....

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"They take photos but sales don't increase."

Perhaps the product or price are not appealing to the visitors.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

How many shops in Kochi have Japanese speaking staff to take advantage of their new business opportunity?

its time to wake up Kochi....

@kurisupisu, I think someone slipped up.

Despite there being absolutely nothing at Kochi Port and the city center is a good few kilometers away, things are better than a few years ago.

But, yeah, a few big drugstores and duty-free stores down that way would help. OR, the big attraction of the Kochi area is its rural and natural environment, which is a bit incongruous given thousands of punters all crowded together on a cruise ship visiting for a day.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I meant to write 'Chinese speaking'

suman.....

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Maybe the cruise ships could carry their own Chinese-speaking staff, trained to work in the Koichi stores.

Of course, the locals would miss out on employment opportunities, but business leaders would be happy. And that's what seems to matter.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think the answer is in the article: they want what they don't have in China. 1) Japanese beauty/health products that are famous for their quality; 2) kimono stores? Come on, not even most Japanese can spend fortunes to get one. And why would a Chinese buy one for? Kimonos are mostly used in special Japanese functions. In Japan. As for these visitors being "cheap", you should revise your opinion. They indeed buy things, and the big numbers of these tourists may make up for their lower spending.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Nippori NickToday  07:05 am JST

The fact they are looking around drug stores tells you something about them.

It does, but I think it tells me more about the facilities around Kochi port that a drug store is the most interesting thing for them to visit.

I imagine ports suitable for a cruise ship take a long time to build. I imagine the way things go in Japan, getting permission and getting things arranged for such a project takes longer. I would be shocked if this port wasn't in the works for at least 2 years. Plenty of time for Kochi businesses to research their new customers and their needs. The fact that these Kochi businesses have apparently done nothing speaks volumes. At the very least, every drug store in Kochi should have a giant stock of sea-sickness remedies and other similar goods (anti-diarrhea, bandages, etc) clearly labelled in Chinese or with attention-grabbing illustrations. There should be local delicacies, entertainment options, etc.

Or maybe Kochi business owners just expect Chinese tourists to magically behave exactly like Japanese customers the moment their feet touch these hallowed shores?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Maybe the cruise ships could carry their own Chinese-speaking staff, trained to work in the Koichi stores.

and why would any company want to spend money on staff to help other companies sell products to their customers!? No if J companies want to get the tourist cash they'll have to spend money on staff themselves that can communicate in their language , sell products they want to buy at a price thats affordable. Looking at tourist as just a payday is the first mistake many businesses make, "get in , get your stuff, then get out"

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Instead of going to US marketing fairs.. I recommend a visit at ginza.., you can see how that area managed to capitalize on tourists, specifically Chinese... just hop into Matsumoto Kyoshi ( drug store , since yes these products are hugely popular with Chinese and they buy them like there is no tomorrow ) .. you see they keep double staff,specially trained to assist Chinese speaking customers and trained very well to sell to them.. I went with a friend that is originally Chinese and it was amazing how they assisted,explained and even complimented her on her white guy friend and on the side made her spend about 400usd more than she intended. and the store was absolutely packed.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Great planning.

Port completed in 2014 but only now ( way too late) start thinking about surveying tourists regarding meeting their wants/needs etc.

this should have started before the first sod was turned on construction.

i doubt that buying a Kimono will be high on any tourists list, whether they are domestic or overseas visitors.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I think the problem is with a ship stopping in Kochi. Hardly KObe, Yokohama or Kagoshima is it?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Kimonos are by far not in a tourist checklist to buy and definitely not on someone on a cruise. Their price tags are high, trying them will take time (that tourist staying in the city for a day don't have) and packing that thing in your luggage will be a pain.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The governments of Kochi City and Kochi Prefecture are not to blame for the malaise and failure to encourage growth in the local economy.  

Frankly an opportunity going begging. I have noticed from time to time American tourists struggling to finding outlets to spend their dollars because of business and restaurants reticence even indifference to providing menu's in English or any other language.

Worst of all is this statement:

Yoshiki Yamamoto, head of a business association in the Harimaya Bridge shopping area in Kochi, pins hopes on the survey, saying, "We should know what the visitors want".

Why wait for the results of a survey, get off your backside and find out, do your own research!!!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It's the same problem everywhere. Cruises are a good business... for cruising companies. But not so much for the cities where they stop. Tourists pay a lot for that cruise ticket, but it's all included: a room, meals, entertainment.. So they don't really need to spend money when visiting a city, and they don't have that much time to spare anyway because these ships usually leave before sunset (so no dining and drinking at the port side).

Well that's not what the tourism industry says in Oz. All Australian cities want to be on big cruise companies' routes. This is the fastest growing tourism sector in the country and from what I have read elsewhere the euros feel the same. Literally millions of tourist dollars are on those ships. Reckon most ppl rather say to their friends/family back home that they had dinner at some fancy resto in Sydney, Welly, Noumea and (why not) Kochi or Kobe, visited the aquarium, museums etc than that they didn't see much and spent the whole 3 weeks onboard the cruise ship, didn't try local food etc. 

Surely Kochi and other J cities can do better than that.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In Wellington the biggest beneficiaries are probably the local cafes, restaurants and bars.

A few people will go on winery tours over to Martinborough, others will visit the various tourist attractions about. So the benefits are spread about a bit, but I imagine most other retailers would get limited benefit. Still works out well.

Can some local Kochi cafes and restaurants try a bit harder to cater to these visitors perhaps?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Hi, Akula many businesses do, the high department stores. And its not through want of trying

One of my favorite events....And it reaches out far and wide

http://www.sakesamurai.co.uk/portfolio-item/tosa-sake-fair/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Blattamexiguus

Never miss a chance to criticise do you?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Maybe people are starting to learn that it's not about the number of tourists, but the revenue you make off them. The Japanese news seems to love the headline "in-bound" number of foreign tourists but a lot of them will be Asian tourists being bussed around on short package tours with narrow margins. If you believed the Japanese media, you'd think every tourist was a bakugai Chinese or a Westerner in Mega Donki or a 100 yen shop gushing about how amazing it is.

I've not been on a cruise, but I'd imagine passengers are glad of a different place to eat, drink, relax, and walk around after a few days on the same ship. There is definitely a business opportunity there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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