KYOTO - Hotels in major tourist destinations are beginning to change as China’s call for restraint on travel to Japan reduces the number of group tours, with some Kyoto properties now offering rooms for as little as 3,000 yen per night, a level that would have been unthinkable during the recent inbound tourism boom.
Accommodation prices in popular sightseeing areas had surged to the point of being “out of reach” for many travelers due to strong inbound demand, but steep discounts are now spreading, with nightly rates in Kyoto falling below 10,000 yen and some hotels dropping into the 3,000-yen range.
On Komachi Street in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, which leads to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and drew more than 15 million visitors last year, shop owners say individual travelers are still plentiful, but organized tour groups from China have noticeably declined. One store selling soft-serve ice cream made with premium matcha said about 70 percent of its foreign customers used to come from China, but recently most overseas visitors have been arriving from other parts of Asia, such as Indonesia.
According to shop staff, the change became clear about a week after China urged its citizens not to travel to Japan, with visitor numbers dropping sharply. In Kamakura, Chinese tourists were the largest group among foreign visitors to the city’s tourist information centers last fiscal year, but numbers have fallen since Chinese leaders’ remarks related to Taiwan prompted Beijing to call for travel restraint to Japan.
Some stores say the impact is unavoidable. Items such as cherry blossom- and yuzu-scented soaps were especially popular with Chinese visitors, but shops report days with no Chinese customers at all. Retailers say sales have taken a significant hit because Chinese tourists previously accounted for a large share of purchases, and there is concern that if the situation drags on into February, when shops typically prepare Chinese-language displays and promotions, the impact could deepen further.
At the same time, some see an upside. With fewer crowds, Kamakura has become easier to walk around on weekdays, making it more comfortable for visitors to browse shops at a relaxed pace.
Changes are also evident in Kyoto, one of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations. Compared with October last year, foot traffic along Kiyomizu-zaka, the approach to Kiyomizu-dera, appears noticeably lighter this December. A shop owner who has operated in the area for nearly a decade said the number of Chinese visitors has dropped by more than 50 percent compared with last year.
Hotel prices reflect the shift. The average room rate at major hotels in Kyoto once dipped during the pandemic but hit a record high of 20,195 yen last year, remaining elevated at 20,601 yen in December. However, a check of current listings on Google Maps shows many centrally located Kyoto hotels now priced below 10,000 yen per night, with some offering rooms in the 3,000-yen range.
A tourist visiting from Tokyo said the prices felt “cheap,” noting that rates were more than 10,000 yen lower than expected and made it easier to stay overnight.
Aviation travel analyst Tori says similar price declines are occurring beyond Kyoto, particularly in urban areas such as Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kanazawa and other cities that typically attract large numbers of Chinese tourists or are served by direct flights from China.
As for how long the lower prices will last, Tori expects them to continue at least until spring. Chinese airlines have already suspended many routes through the end of March, making a rapid recovery in inbound demand from China unlikely before then.
Source: TBS
