New venues, accommodation and activities get ready to welcome more business events and incentive travel groups to Japan as restrictions lift.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida on 22 September 2022 announced the lifting of travel restrictions to Japan, removing the daily cap of arrivals starting from 11 October 2022 and reinstating visa waivers for international travellers. Free and easy travel will also be allowed, a common activity many business travellers look forward to post-event. Prescribed applications in the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up Systems (ERFS) will no longer be required. On-arrival tests and isolation have also been removed for 128 countries and regions.
To attract the return of business, the Japan National Tourism Organization’s (JNTO) Singapore MICE team will be exhibiting at Asia’s travel trade show, ITB Asia 2022, from 19 to 21 October 2022.
JNTO has also launched a new publication with information about how the industry as a whole is adapting to the “new normal”, and why business event organisers should consider Japan as their next destination once international travel resumes. Despite the disruption, Japan is committed to minimising the health risk to visitors while offering its world-class hospitality, facilities and unique culture.
Business Events Tokyo introduced its “Tokyo’s Special Offers for Corporate Meetings and Incentive Travel” in September 2022 to further encourage business travellers. From as little as 70 visitor nights, the benefits will include a warm airport welcome with a welcome banner at the arrival hall, giveaways for all participants, VIP gifts, and a choice from a collection of exciting programmes.
Three programmes have been newly added to the list of options. OkuTama Forest Therapy is highly recommended as a well-being activity and will allow participants to experience Tokyo’s beautiful nature. “BLUE TOKYO” Dance & Acrobatic Performance will enable participants to dance together, building team spirit and unity.
The third programme, the “Sumi-e” (Japanese Ink Wash Performance), will provide a memorable journey through this inherited Japanese art with a powerful display of ink drawing by a local artist who completes the live painting in front of an audience. The “wow” factor happens when the artist slowly begins drawing mysterious lines which fluidly transform into vibrant illustrations of dynamic sports before the eyes of fascinated participants.
In Hiroshima, Hilton opened its 600th property in September in the centre of Hiroshima city. As the first flagship hotel in Hiroshima, the 420-room (including suites) hotel is within walking distance from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, and Itsukushima Shrine. It is about a 10-minute drive from Hiroshima Station.
Hilton Hiroshima features one of the largest convention facilities in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. It comprises a total of 19 ballroom and meeting rooms that could cater to more than 1,000 guests for various types of business events. The total event space is 2,860sqm and the biggest room setup is 1,295sqm.
Beppu city is located in Oita prefecture in Kyushu, a region in the south of Japan and is well-known for her onsen (hot springs). A destination that is suitable for incentive trips and holding meetings and events.
The B-Con Plaza is a convention centre situated in Beppu Park. This centre is one of the largest in the region that is suitable for holding international conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, exhibitions, meetings and concerts. Their largest convention hall is 2,756sqm and has the capacity for 8,000 attendees.
Bamboo crafts are popular in Beppu. The crafts are handmade using eight basic bamboo weaving techniques. Incentive groups to Beppu interested in learning this traditional Japanese craft could sign up for a forty-minute to a one-hour session at the Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Crafts Centre. Bamboo weaving is also suitable for team-building activities.
Featured image by Tianshu Liu on Unsplash.