Introduction to Nyuujitanken
Nyuujitanken, meaning ‘Explore New Zealand’ in Japanese, is a website promoting New Zealand to people in Japan, as well as to Japanese people living/studying in New Zealand and other countries. This website provides a cost-effective way for New Zealand businesses to promote products and services to the Japanese market.

Japanese Market Trends
The Japanese economy is showing signs of growth again, which is reflected in an increase in consumer confidence, wages, and share prices. Such key economic indicators will encourage corporates and consumers alike to spend the high levels of savings they have, and to invest in further growth opportunities inside and outside of Japan.

Despite the recent tragic events in Japan, overseas travel remains strong. Sales of tours to Europe during June- August 2011 are on par with last year’s levels, and many Japanese tour operators, Tourism NZ, and Air NZ are anticipating the Japan market to rebound to NZ later in 2011. Many initiatives are now in place to drive such growth.

Around 94 million people out of the population of 127 million have daily access to the internet. In Japan, researching the destination prior to making travel plans is the norm. Hobbies and interests, dining, shopping, activities, transport, and accommodation options are all popular search criteria.

The average Japanese commuter spends 2-3 hours daily on trains, and searching the internet on mobile devices during this down time is common. 48% of Japanese have booked travel online, with 70% of those bookings being made by mobile phone. (source: Yahoo Japan Value Insight Corporation)

Japanese people do a huge amount of research before making key purchasing decisions. This is particularly the case for travel. By having your information in Japanese on the internet, the opportunity to attract Japanese clients is increased.

The fastest emerging market in Japan is the ‘Baby Boomer’ market, which is estimated at around 6.8 million people. Unlike the 65+ age group who are more frequently seen on packaged tours, Baby Boomers are
typically seasoned travellers, and are confident English speakers because of this requirement during their working life. Baby boomers often choose destinations where they can enjoy their hobbies and interests. They stay longer, are reasonably confident, have considerable spending potential, and are much more likely to travel to parts of the country that do not often see Japanese travellers. Baby boomers use a variety of transport, including regular coach services and rental cars.