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Influencers: Japan's secret weapon to promote niche tourism spots
- hilux 3y agoThere's nothing "secret" about this. Most countries with any tourism business (real or hoped-for) do this. Even Saudi Arabia.
- tmm84 3y agoIn the last year or so I have seen so many travel ads and promotions to visit Saudi Arabia. I don't think I'd ever go there but I'm pretty sure I know a lot of the stuff I would visit.
- hilux 3y agoI hear it's a good place to watch soccer.
- leosanchez 3y agoThere are 10's of football (soccer) fans in Saudi Arabia
- LordShredda 3y ago10's of millions? It's the only thing playing in coffee shops and the only thing people talk about
- IncreasePosts 3y agoA few amazing players surrounded by scrubs
- emodendroket 3y agoThe impression I get from seeing the tourism pitches Gulf states do is that they're trying to sell me on Las Vegas, except with less sex or liquor and more unfree labor. Hard to see the appeal.
- Rinzler89 3y ago>There's nothing "secret" about this. It's also not a weapon. I dislike clickbait hyperboles like that in titles.
- a_random_canuck 3y agoYeah this is literally what “influencers” are… they are just freelance salespeople/marketers acting as the outsourced sales and marketing arm for corporations and countries.
- rvba 3y agoThat is just normal marketing. Also "37,000 views on YouTube" mentioned in the article sounds pathetic. What is the RoI here?
- Tiktaalik 3y ago> the government aims to attract more repeat travelers and are putting in efforts to promote less-visited places in the hopes of avoiding overtourism while helping to revitalize dwindling communities at the same time. This is a good idea but unfortunately by dramatically raising the price of the JR Pass, tourists are now severely discouraged from buying it and from leaving Osaka and Tokyo, and overtourism in these cities is likely to get even worse.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- quartesixte 3y agoBuying individual legs for a two week trip usually came out to be the same for most people anyways. The JR Pass rarely made sense (especially with the restrictions on riding the fastest bullet trains) and now the price reflects that.
- Findecanor 3y agoAre you thinking of the faster bullet trains between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka? Part of the reason for the price increase has been said to specifically discourage tourists from using the pass for riding that route, as it was already very congested. I don't really see the logic behind that myself. Tourists will still travel between those two cities. They will just travel less to other places that they don't prioritise as much.
- Jach 3y agoI recall the 7 day JR Pass used to break even if you were going to do Tokyo -> Kyoto/Osaka and later back to Tokyo over a trip, maybe with an extra trip basically anywhere that could be a day trip. (e.g. Osaka to Hiroshima and back, or Tokyo to Sendai, or...) Now with the increased price you need even more trips to be worth it, which can be challenging in just 7 days. I don't think the restriction on not being able to use the fastest bullet trains is that big of a deal for most tourists.
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- tjpnz 3y agoI hope they do their due diligence. There are plenty of examples of influencers behaving badly in the countries they seek to emulate.
- spxneo 3y agoi call it post-Johnny Somali Japan that dude single handedly ruined it for all streamers and content makers in Japan not to mention the public perception of blacks but foreigners in general have taken a major hit
- monksy 3y agoHopefully the Thai talked some sense into him. For the people who aren't aware: This guy went around harassing people on the subway saying Hiroshima, Nagasaki in a taunting way. This was some of his content. Eventually he got picked up by the police.
- tjpnz 3y agoThere are posts on Reddit claiming he resurfaced in Israel and got the shit kicked out of him there. Some people never learn.
- spxneo 3y agohe was bragging about how he was going to come to south korea and claiming he was Yamaguchigumi local yakuzas threatened him on X and he changed his tune went to Israel smh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQpwl2FQREE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQpwl2FQREE
- spxneo 3y agoLately Japan just does not seem like it used to be. The flood of gaijins have totally turned off the public as wages stagnate while inflation drives cost of goods. Just looking at some of the subreddits around living in Japan, the desperation is obvious as gaijins also feel the inflationary pressure. 10 years ago you it would've been impossible to find rude staff but now it becomes routine as the average Japanese workers patience has been pushed to teh brink. Its not as bad as Canada but definitely a shock to see how crappy tourist experience has gotten in Japan. ymmv
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- shiroiushi 3y ago>Just looking at some of the subreddits around living in Japan, the desperation is obvious as gaijins also feel the inflationary pressure. Please take anything you see on the Japan-related subreddits with a container ship full of salt. The people who hang out on there are even worse than the Americans you'll see on NextDoor. Half of them seem to absolutely hate their life in Japan and are obviously bitter about their life choices, and most of the rest are just plain crazy. /r/japanlife is the absolute worst; I recommend staying far away from there. >10 years ago you it would've been impossible to find rude staff but now it becomes routine as the average Japanese workers patience has been pushed to teh brink. Its not as bad as Canada but definitely a shock to see how crappy tourist experience has gotten in Japan. Maybe you're only visiting restaurants in the tourist-filled parts of town, but I live in Tokyo and I haven't had any problems with rude staff (yet). Honestly, I still feel like I'm living in some kind of bubble, because the stuff I read on the news about happenings in the US and other western countries, even in daily life (like restaurant staff), and what I hear from my family in the US, is SO incongruent with my life in Tokyo. It's true that prices have gone up for many things, but other than that, life here is peaceful and good.
- bombcar 3y agoIn general most of what you read anywhere is from either rabid fans or rabid complainers. Nobody else really bothers to even think about talking about whatever it is online. Always important to remember.
- wintermutestwin 3y agoFor me, Japan’s secret tourism weapon is ubiquitous restroom access. In most EU and US cities, I waste tons of time trying to find a place to pee and it severely eats into my availability to shop or choose a well rated restaurant. Sorry, I walked past your cool looking shop at high speed because I was about to piss my pants. I end up with such a sour view of those cities probably because I am dehydrated and going through caffeine withdrawal. On my last trip to Japan, I averaged 20km of walking each day. If your city can’t accommodate basic human needs, it doesn’t deserve my tourist $.
- jen729w 3y agoFull agree. Come to Australia! Dunnys everywhere mate.
- bombcar 3y agoMy secret shame is always carrying Here maps with lists of all McDonalds. Wi-Fi and restrooms what more do you need?
- bboygravity 3y agoThere are cities where that won't work: Lisbon (you need a code from the receipt to enter the bathroom).
- bombcar 3y agoLisbon was where I pioneered it; you might have to buy something cheap, but at least you have a restroom available. If you're really penny pinching, the ground is often littered with receipts.
- wintermutestwin 3y agoIf I am near a McDonalds while I am touring a city, it generally means I have made poor route decisions.
- dewey 3y agoIn return, we do have ubiquitous trash cans in EU and US cities, which are hard to come by in Japan.