Declining Japanese tourism to N.W.T., Canada

Canadian tourism operators, including those in the Northwest Territories, are trying to determine why fewer Japanese tourists are visiting Canada, and what it will take to bring them back.

In the Northwest Territories, which promotes tourism with the northern lights and dog sled rides, the travel industry has noticed about half as many Japanese tourists coming up for aurora-viewing trips compared with 10 years ago.

"Do we need to change our focus? I think so," said Dave Grindlay, executive director of N.W.T. Tourism.

"I think we need to change because the travel patterns and habits of Japanese are changing, so we've got to change along with them."

Grindlay said today's Japanese tourists tend to be younger, more independent and more active — and wanting to do more than sit and watch a northern lights show.

The numbershave declineddespite efforts from N.W.T. Tourism to market northern aurora tourism packages to lure back tourists after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacksand the SARS epidemic of 2002.

However, more travellers are now heading to Alaska, the Yukon and northern Alberta — destinations that are cheaper and more accessible — to see the northern lights.

But the territory is not alone: the Canadian Tourism Commission released a study last week looking at reasons why fewer Japanese visitors are coming to Canada overall.

"Canada is not really currently viewed as a trendy destination, and that was an overreaching factor which we've seen come out fairly clearly in the research," said Andrew Clark, a vice-president with the commission.

The commission's study found that more Japanese are travelling to Asian countries, notably China, with more distant destinations such as Canada off tourists' radar. Between 2000 and 2006, China alone has seen 70 per cent growth in Japanese travel, bringing in more than 1.5 million tourists from Japan.

By comparison, Canada lost 152,100 visitors during that same time span, making for a 31 per cent drop, the survey found. The U.S. mainland saw a 27 per cent decrease, while Rome experienced a 47 per cent drop.

The commission's study found that Japanese tourists are more interested in flexible group tour packages and independent travel, as opposed to the traditional controlled group tours currently widespread in Canada.

It also said Canada has to recapture Japanese tourists' interest in the country byfocusing more on participation in outdoor activities rather than simply observing nature.