SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted December 10, 2009 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted December 10, 2009 Actually, it is quite interesting. It's basically a discussion loosely based on these reports but then going off in all directions. There's usually about 12 of us actually doing the discussing - mostly Japanese chief editors of the main national newspapers, tourism 'experts', with just a few of us foreigners and then all of the JNTO department heads listening in and throwing in questions. It's all in Japanese so that makes it a bit difficult at times. It's a curious arrangement, but it's good that the top JNTO guys get to hear some of the stuff that is said and there's often a lot of interesting things come up. I find most of them, in this meeting at least, to be well-intentioned and open to ideas. Oh yes, and there's a big party afterwards. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Not surprised about the party, a job at the JNTO seems to be one endless junket. Good if you can get it I guess... Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 How come you are in this group then? Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted December 10, 2009 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted December 10, 2009 I'm not really totally sure! About 4 years ago I met the at-the-time JNTO director at Naeba when I was giving some speech and then met him again in Tokyo shortly after. He invited me to join this group and they have kept me on, so I keep going. They probably just wanted a representative of these here extremely knowledgeable Forums. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 haha well you better make sure you get your fill of bevvy....you are representing a lot of people on this forum!! Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Good work SJ#1 You are IN Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 Very interesting. Have a good meeting/party! Still interested in those top countries. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Yeah - we wantz reprazentashun y'know! One man one vote and all. Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 My guess for number 1 is USA or maybe France, Italy? Link to post Share on other sites
Zer0star 0 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 number one is France. Has been for a long while now. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 it's cos of all the Brits going across to get the cheap booze. Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 all i can say is there must be a lot of boring people visiting japan. shopping, food. ???? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Here's mine 1) Snow 2) Food 3) Culture My wife's 1) Shopping 2) Food 3) Onsen Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Shopping #1 on her list? I couldn't even think of being involved with a women like that. Glad it's you and not me! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Baby clothes and accessories at the mo Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Originally Posted By: thursday Baby clothes and accessories at the mo Don't you have anything to wear? Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted December 17, 2009 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted December 17, 2009 Sorry I forgot to post that list. Too many things to do! Here it is 1 France 2 US 3 Spain 4 China 5 UK 6 Ukraine (!) 7 Turkey 8 Germany 9 Russia 10 Mexico Meeting was actually really interesting this time, they heard a lot of comments they might not have wanted to hear to chew on. As always I kept banging on about winter sports. The party was fun too - ended up at the end just me and the top JNTO guys talking about skiing, beer, football and stuff. They have some very ambitious targets for the next 10 years but some pretty big question marks on how they plan to get there and who those numbers will be made up of. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Would be great if I could spare the cash to invest in Japan with that potential. Sadly I can't Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Perhaps at last they realize there's a foreign market. Back in the 90's all the TV travel shows were on about travelling in Japan. Pursuading holiday makers to stay in Japan and spend locally to help the country out. For a country of its size and with so much to offer, 10 million visitors a year is really not impressive. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 @Thursday, Especially when you consider the extensive infrastructure they have here. It seems that there are sooooo many ways that Japan could promote herself better if only she had the sustained interest to do it! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Originally Posted By: SJ#1 They have some very ambitious targets for the next 10 years but some pretty big question marks on how they plan to get there and who those numbers will be made up of. This is the real problem, they basically have no idea whatsoever about how to market Japan to foreigners. Most people from JNTO I've met barely even speak any english. It would make sense for them to hire someone with experience in marketing at that level from a country that has been successful in increasing international visitor numbers. Of course that's never likely to happen. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted December 18, 2009 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted December 18, 2009 I would like to think that positive changes like that are going to be made Go Native. Getting feedback from people involved in tourism/marketing is one of the reasons they have this particular group/meeting - though I'm not sure how useful my particular input is! And pretty much all the guys there can actually speak English, even though the meeting is held in Japanese though most present are at the top of the JNTO organisation don't know that might make a difference. I presume this particular meeting is done in Japanese because some of the members can't speak English and Japanese is the one language that we can all speak more or less. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 if there is anything specific, I'd like to hear what their thoughts are on the anomaly that is Niseko. Dismissive or encouraged at the turn of events in Hokkaido. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted December 18, 2009 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted December 18, 2009 Certainly not dismissive, thursday. I would say encouraged, though how that will translate into anything I don't know. I often feel I know much more about it than the JNTO guys who are at the meeting but if that is the case then hopefully that has some use too. After all, it's not a meeting about winter sports but as you might expect thats the agenda that I try to push. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 No Italy in that list?? JNTO didn't do very well during the Nagano Olympics or the Football World Cup. I think tourism actually went down during the latter due to Koreans staying home. Link to post Share on other sites
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