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© KYODOPandemic-hit travel agency JTB sells Tokyo HQ to raise funds
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© KYODO
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Fiddlers
Don't worry guys your buddy Suga will soon bail you out with the 'Go to Travel' campaign which the government will start again.
divinda
So they sold an assent in order to put themselves into more debt.
Bravo.
Strangerland
What debt?
Mickelicious
Lots of companies do this to free up funds. Would you prefer them to fire everyone?
ShinkansenCaboose
NKT has done the same. Closing offices all over the place. As we travel almost monthly and are very happy we our agent we just followed her to her third office in 10 months time. Lucky for her it is moving her closer to her home at least.
WA4TKG
I had many a bargain travel trip thanks to H.I.S. / #1 Travel.
CS
Bad business, friendship cronies buy the building, company never moves out, starts a fake lease with said "new owners", Bad business writes off millions and millions of yen due to pandemic, partners in crime have a nice lunch together and call it a day. Rinse and repeat.
Septim Dynasty
There will be more bankrupt Japanese firms including big ones. Dentsu or Toshiba is already in trouble, for example.
However, Japanese elites and people will deny the reality and yell "Shouganai!"
ShinkansenCaboose
Some of you above are putting down the need to have travel agents. We totally disagree. For the complicated traveling we do and comparing what we can do as far as special seating, green cars, flights and sightseeing trips on trains with hotels, Expedia and the other sites are inflexible.
Travel agents can see everything. When you are annoyed because you cannot get two seats together, or two isle seats etc. we are paying a bit more but the service can’t be beat and we get what we want…always.
nakanoguy01
The tens of millions of elderly Japanese who can't think for themselves.
smartacus
Reckless
You're probably right but there are still a lot of Japanese people, mainly elderly, who like to use travel agents. If they are going on a cruise or tour, they like to see the glossy brochures and chat with travel agents. Many people, including myself, still prefer some human-to-human contact. When I go to an airport, I never use the self check-in, but always go to the check-in counter and chat with the airline employee.
Travel agencies will have to diversify but there will always be a demand for personalized service.
snowymountainhell
Your always trusted to call it as “it is” @P.Smith 7:42pm:”Some things( and people) never change.” - Many will still use traditional, face-to-face, in-person services.
snowymountainhell
Agreed, more expensive. So, don’t forget that your Pockytbook when visiting a travel agent:
snowymountainhell
Did a travel agent book your current trip to Kyoto or did you save money doing it yourselffs?
snowymountainhell
Did you mean “*Never used a travel agent.” @zichi 9:03pm? *If so, “remarkable” in pre-internet days.
snowymountainhell
Impressive journey’s @zichi 1:31pm - Those were the days!
No agents, definitely NO tours, … just travel ‘on the breeze’.
Still, I had to d some ‘homework’ with Fodor’s. And, in the last few years, pre-pandemic, Lonely Planet.
snowymountainhell
Do you post reviews of where you stay & where to eat, *when** *you travel?
Some continuing travelers do, despite current domestic ‘advisories’ not to for a little longer. (Not sure the small businesses want the national attention when most of the country has even trying to ‘play be the rules’.)snowymountainhell
Speaking of travel: Many travel offices are closing. - Yet, some earlier comments read like perhaps some offices may be trying to distance themselves from, admittedly, disingenuous, & difficult, or problematic’ clientele that may possibly be doing more damage to their business relationships and the already-hurting small businesses around Japan?
Please don’t write disingenuous reviews that damage the credibility of patron supported sites with one review to the far extreme. - In the meantime, til things return to normal, maybe it’s best to just save your pockytmoney and stay around home, for now.