|
|
|
||||
|
||||
10,000 Free Return Tickets to Japan -
10-11-2011, 11:21 PM
Well, right now it's still very much in the planning stage but seems as it's managed to make it's way onto the Yahoo front page I thought there's no better time to make it.
So what do you think about this, good idea or not? I'm no economics expert, but I've always thought about offers like these being a little bittersweet. They may spend what, 1.1 billion Yen on this campaign, and surely with the debt Japan is in that won't be good news. I don't know if I can imagine the scale of 10,000 people correctly, but I find it hard to believe that they'll spend up to THAT much all together... and relying on word of mouth to others seems risky, as does relying on them blogging. Anyways, besides that, do you think this'll be 10,000 people in the whole world, or in selected countries? So far I've seen the stories reported on the American Yahoo, British JNTO Facebook page and Italian news website, so it looks as though it's a global thing. Do you think they'll succeed in making this happen, or scrap it? I have no idea how the Japanese legal system works on big investment matters like these, so it'll be interesting to hear opinion. 
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
10-11-2011, 11:49 PM
In order for the program to break even, each person would have to spend roughly $1470, on average, in country. I'm not sure what the length of stay may be, but that is not an unattainable number.
Considering the situation the country may be in, I don't see this as risky as others may see it. I'm sure there will be plenty of publicity around this and cameras and reporters at the airports as the passengers get off the aircraft, which I'm sure are going to be Japanese carriers so as to keep the funds in country. I keep seeing on NHK news Japanese National Tourist Organization seminars in many foreign countries welcoming people to visit Japan. The situation doesn't seem desperate, but they are hurting, with a current 37% drop in same-time-last-year visits. At one point it had dropped over 50%. I'm sure it will be a world-wide event and they can be quite discriminating as to whom to pick. I predict the website will have quite a few questions to answer. And since there will be a large number of people who will reply, I think they can choose a wide range of people. I'll give it a try, but it starts a week after I get back from Japan. I won't be one of those they'll target, since I have no qualms about visiting Japan. I think it's a good thing they're trying to do. They deserve and need all the help they can get....
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
10-12-2011, 12:04 AM
Quote:
But the question is, will all those cameras and publicity be for Japanese people or foreigners? If it's for Japanese people, then it doesn't really help. If for foreigners it would, but I've never really seen any Japan specials on TV in this country. That's not to say it won't happen, but I'm not sure... I don't think it'll be such a big hit with foreign media. I've always thought, if you like Japan, you like it and don't need any campaigns to re-enforce that. And if you don't want to go, or don't like it, generally a show like that won't really change a mind. Their campaigns seem to *generally* not do too well either. They wanted 10 million tourists by the end of 2010, and got around 8.5 million. The goal of these tickets may just be too ambitious, like other projects they've tried. Thought so. On Yahoo it says they'll want influential bloggers who will write about their trip.
|
|
|
|||
|
|||
|
10-12-2011, 09:50 AM
My wife and I were "on camera" back in June (when we were in Japan) as part of an "it is OK to visit Kyoto" campaign.
Unfortunately, the Japanese tourist organization(s) have to counter the impact of the equivalent of gazillions of dollars of major media time spent by the Western press in their over-sensationalizing the whole disaster. 10,000 tickets (not counting in-country expenses) is a drop in the bucket fighting the preceptions crated by the negative media blitz. best, ............john
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
10-12-2011, 10:18 AM
This could work quite well, considering the "publicize your trip on your blog" clause in the contract. Also, what does a family do if one member wins a ticket? Everyone else will have to buy their own ticket to come along. It's bound to have a (small) effect, at the very least to show to the people who know the winners that it's not really very hard to go to 'exotic' Japan. At the very least it couldn't be less successful than the now defunct Yokoso Japan! campaign.
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
10-14-2011, 10:34 PM
Quote:
Exactly, and if I'm honest, I think it'll all be for nothing. As I said in my last post, if someone wants to go to Japan they won't need any reaffirming. If they don't, I don't think a campaign by the tourist board will really tip them over the edge to go. Quote:
But the problem with that is, of there's family who need to come to, they probably won't apply for a ticket in the first place. Paying for two, or even one person fully would still give a huge financial impact to the family that even with a free ticket they will not be able to take. Ohh yeah, I remember the Yokoso Japan! campaign! What ever happened to that... it's gone now? If so then yeah, that was pretty bad lol.
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
10-14-2011, 11:32 PM
Quote:
Which to quote Tokyo Moe; "Would five effeminate, overly-styled men fill your head with a desire to visit Japan and eliminate all memories of nuclear disaster and fall-out?" My father certainly took one look at it, beetled his brow and asked, 'are they a bit... you know?' and mimed shirt lifting, before shrugging in confusion and going to weed the garden. XD
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
10-18-2011, 10:10 PM
I think every one of us "regulars" on this board has a good chance to win one of these tickets if you approach the situation correctly.
Japan may seem to be inviting a bunch of gaijin who are not well versed in the manners / culture of the country and are only there because it's a free ride but that doesn't mean Japan prefers them. **A lot of you can speak a bit of the language and a lot of you a bit more than that. **A lot of you are familiar with the culture and some of you have even been there. **Those who qualify for the above statements also have more of a compass for how to act and what is expected in Japan. If you can write your letter alluding to these facts, pointing out your active involvement in the Japanese culture in some way (i.e. Japan forums), and even mixing in a little Kanji/Kana all in a self-deferring, non-expectant, polite tone you will connect with the person qualifying the letter much more than "I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO JAPAN I LOVE IT HEHE IT'S GREAT I LOVE SUSHI!!". Not saying these people are bad but not 10,000 of them!!! Good luck everyone!! p.s. Maybe for those of us who win we can get some of the people from this board who live there like Nyororin, or Ryuruui, or Masaegu to cook us dinner and stay with them and then it'll be like totally free!
|
|
|
|||
|
|||
|
10-19-2011, 02:11 PM
It probally won't happen, its just a case of the western media going for headlines over facts. It is just something that is under consideration.
And the thing about this is...assuming it went ahead....I doubt they'll be giving tickets to cheap anime loving teenagers (to take an extreme NO); no way such people would spend over the cost of the tickets during their stay in Japan. They'll be wanting to give the tickets to people who will spend and make this scheme not so huge a loss maker. Since its all about promoting Japan as a tourist destination they won't want to be preaching to the converted either, they'll be wanting people who aren't so learned on Japan.
|
 |
| Thread Tools | |
|
|
