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Kichisaburo Murayama, president of small Tokyo travel agency Asuka Ryoko. Criticism that the benefits of the Japanese government's Go To Travel subsidy campaign are skewed toward large travel businesses is building up among smaller companies, which have been left struggling to attract customers who prefer easy-to-use major travel agencies and accommodation booking websites.
© Mainichi ShimbunVoices
in
Japan
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2 Comments
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Mickelicious
It was ever thus. Nothing whatsoever to do with Amakudari. Of course not.
kohakuebisu
Most pensions and minshuku in Japan have repeat customers who book direct with them. To get the Go To discounts, you have to book through a big agent, who typically takes 15 to 20%.
When this is over, there's a good chance people will keep on booking through big agents, especially if all their details are in the system and its just a few clicks to book. The agent may also have a lax cancellation policy it forces on the accommodation provider. The net result is that that repeat customer will now pay 15 to 20% to an agent for something they knew about already. When booking, they will also be hit with lots of info about rival providers, testing their loyalty to place they originally went to. The agent wins from all of this, not the accommodation providers.