Travel
Japan, China, S Korea set 2030 goal of 40 mil cross-border tourists
The tourism ministers of Japan, China and South Korea say they aim to increase the number of travelers between their countries to 40 million by 2030. At the end of their two-day meeting in the Japanese port city of Kobe this week, Tetsuo Saito, Japan's tourism minister, Zhang Zheng, China's… Read
Hotel Nikko Kaohsiung to open in Taiwan on November 1
Hotel Nikko Kaohsiung will open on November 1. As the first Nikko-branded hotel in southern Taiwan, this marks a significant expansion for the brand in the region. Situated in the Asia New Bay Area of Kaohsiung City, the hotel enjoys a prime location near MRT and Light Rail stations, ensuring excellent… Read
Get to know Gifu Prefecture's storied past, natural wonders and local cuisine
Located in central Honshu, Gifu Prefecture is an off-the-beaten-track destination perfect for history buffs, lovers of the great outdoors and foodies. One of only eight landlocked prefectures, Gifu’s location has made it a key junction throughout Japanese history as a site of economic exchange and military conflict. Home to mountains,… Read
Peach Aviation introduces machine for issuing baggage tags
Peach Aviation on Wednesday began using its Peach Baggage Tag Kiosk, a baggage tag issuing machine. Starting with Naha Airport, it will be installed at Narita Airport, Kansai Airport and New Chitose Airport, and the service is available on domestic flights departing from each airport. Customers who have already issued… Read
Rakuten Travel taps int'l demand for off-the-beaten-path Japan spots
Rakuten Travel, Japan's major online travel agency, is banking on its multilingual website, offering a comprehensive travel guide, to help attract foreign tourists to the country's off-the-beaten-path destinations. Rakuten Travel's focus on less-explored areas comes as the central and local governments are looking into capitalizing on the growing popularity of… Read
Rome mulls introducing tickets for Trevi Fountain
Authorities in Rome say they were mulling introducing a ticketing system for visitors to the iconic Trevi Fountain, in the latest attempt in Italy to tackle overtourism. The backdrop to the most famous scene in Federico Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita", when actress Anita Ekberg takes a dip, the 18th-century… Read
Kakunodate festival in Akita Prefecture combines Buddhism and Shintoism with traditional music, dances and cuisine
The Kakunodate festival is one of Japan’s most unique and historically rich festivals. It brings together the traditions of Buddhism and Shintoism with an array of vibrant performances and dramatic clashes between elaborately decorated floats. The festival takes place in early September in Kakunodate, a city located in Akita Prefecture. It dates… Read
U.S. government orders big U.S. airlines to explain their frequent-flyer programs
The Biden administration is examining the four largest U.S. airline frequent-flyer programs and how they devalue points that consumers have earned and frequently change the number of points or miles needed to book flights. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has written to the CEOs of American, Delta, Southwest and United, asking… Read
3 must-see autumn festivals in Shimane Prefecture’s capital
Every region of Japan celebrates autumn’s arrival in its own way. Matsue, the capital of Shimane Prefecture, heralds the season with three major festivals between September and October. Each festival is rooted in elements of the city’s identity and all are welcome to join the fun. Outside of the festivals,… Read
If new technologies snarl your airline experience, here are old-school strategies to cope
Ten years ago I wrote a book titled “The End of Airports” about how digital technologies and commercial air travel were on a collision course. Earlier this summer, I was proved right. In July, a cybersecurity software outage snarled airports around the world. Airlines took weeks to get back to… Read
