JAPAN
Market Overview:
In 2019, Japanese visitation to California reached 555,000, and spending was nearly $1.37 billion. The average length of stay was 10.7 days, with $1,704 spent per trip. Japanese visitors’ average traveling party size was 2 people, with 22% of leisure visitors traveling with children.
According to Tourism Economics, 2023 is expected to see visitation recover to 56% of 2019 levels to approximately 310,000 and spending recovering to $833 million. Visitor levels are forecast to recover to 93% of 2019 levels in 2024 to approximately 515,000 visitors. Visitor levels will be fully recovered in 2025.
Spending is forecast to reach 102% of 2019 level to approximately $1.39 billion in 2024, ranking Japan the third largest overseas spending market behind China and the U.K. for California Over 20 companies offer California baseball tours to Anaheim including 5 of the top 8 operators, plus OTAs, cruise, luxury and special interest tour operators. On average California tours account for 50% or more of tours offered by the top agencies based on an in-market agency review of products available for July-August 2023.
Japan
Japan Market
Goal:
Re-enter the Japanese market and build foundation for travel trade partners to sell and raise awareness of Anaheim.
Objectives:
• Build Anaheim product offerings with key Japanese operators by connecting buyers with Anaheim product • Build relationships with key trade partners
• Trade education through webinars, sales missions, and participating in key Visit California events • Drive greater Anaheim awareness and conversions by partnering with key travel partners Japan
Japan
Market Approach
Educate travel agents to
raise awareness of
destination
Focus on building destination
product with major operators
Engage with travel
trade
N
E
W
Work with RTO’s to contract
and initiate new packages with
Market Insight
Airlift (Direct flights only):
Japan
JAL:
NRT– LAX 1 Daily Flights
ANA:
NRT– LAX 1 Daily Flights
Singapore Airlines
NRT– LAX 1 Daily Flights
United Airlines
NRT – LAX 22 Weekly Flights
Viva Macau
NRT- LAX 1 Daily Flights
American Airlines:
NRT- LAX 22Weekly Flights
Hawaiian Airlines:
NRT– LAX 22 Weekly Flights
Delta
ICN – LAX 22 Weekly Flights
• Most Airlift Than Any Other U.S. State
• 14% more flights and 7% more seats than 2019
• Service to Key Gateways
✔LAX—7 carriers; 80 flights per week; Tokyo & Osaka
• United to add Narita-LAX daily service from October 31 Key Take-aways:
• Major Tour Operators still dominant – trusted names account for 85% of leisure travel bookings (JTB, H.I.S., Hankyu, Jalpak, Kintetsu) • Primary Market segments – Gen X and Baby Boomers with money to travel and strong desire to get ”back to normal”
• Increased usage of OTA’s for FITs
• Simple, single destination packages are more appealing • Student group travel is back – groups of 50 – 250.
Japan
Japan
2023 Japan Programs
Visit California HIS Tours FAM
Visit Anaheim Korea / Japan Sales Mission
Visit California Club California Japan
HIS Tours Consumer Campaign
Visit Anaheim Japan Sales Mission
Mission Components
Media Luncheon
Jalpak Training
Tour Planner Dinner
Events & Training
JATA Office Visit
Media Roundtable
H.I.S. Training
JTB Training
VIP Reception
Travel Agent Seminar
7 Partners
17 Trade Media Artic
les
96 Agents Trained
25 Tour Planner Appt
s.
4 Operator Office Vi
sits
1 Sister City Conn
ection
1 Mayoral Proclama
tion
Hankyu Training
2024 Japan Programs
Visit California Japan Sales Mission – July 2024
Visit California Club California Japan
FAMS (Ongoing)
Angels Opening Day Event
Golden Week JATA Campaign
SOUTH KOREA
Market Overview:
Visit Anaheim is beginning to re-enter the South Korea market with a priority of raising awareness of our destination with key trade and build professional relationships to see incremental business from this region. The September 2023 Sales Mission to Korea will help gain exposure with Korean Operators.
The number of S. Korean visitors to California reached 69% of 2019 levels in 2022 with and is forecasted to reach full rebound to 2019 levels in 2024. And South Korean Travel spending reached 612 Million in 2022 and is expected to exceed the 1.2 Billion mark from 2019 in 2025.
As of August 1, 2023, the airlift from Korea to California recovered by 101.5% compared to 2019. A new Korean hybrid air carrier, Air Premia launched a direct service to LAX in November 2022 with 6 weekly flights. As Air Premia is enjoying over 90% load factor, its first priority is to expand ICN-LAX to daily flights.
With shifts and a reduction in the size of U.S. package teams in major travel agencies, there has been about 50% turn-over in the travel trade workforce during the pandemic. It is critical to re-establish Anaheim's market presence by reconnecting with Korean buyers in market to keep Anaheim a top of mind destination again.
*From December 2022
Source: Visit California
South Korea
South Korea Market
Goal:
Re-enter the South Korea market and build foundation for travel trade partners to sell and raise awareness of Anaheim.
Objectives:
• Build Anaheim product offerings with key Korean operators by connecting Korean buyers with Anaheim product
• Build relationships with key trade partners
• Trade education through webinars, sales missions, and participating in key Visit California events • Drive greater Anaheim awareness and conversions by partnering with key travel partners South Korea
South Korea
Market Approach
Educate travel agents to raise awareness
of destination
Focus on building destination product with
major operators
Re-engage with travel trade
Airlift (Direct flights only):
South Korea
Korean Air:
ICN– LAX 2 Daily Flights
Asiana Airlines:
ICN– LAX 2 Daily Flights
Air Premia
ICN – LAX 6 Weekly Flights
JAL
ICN – LAX 22 Weekly Flights
China Eastern Airlines:
ICN- LAX 15 Weekly Flights
United Air:
ICN– LAX 30 Weekly Flights
ANA:
ICN– LAX 22 Weekly Flights
Delta
ICN – LAX 22 Weekly Flights
Air New Zealand
ICN – LAX 22 Weekly Flights
South Korea
2023 South Korea Programs
Visit Anaheim Korea / Japan Sales Mission
Visit California Club California South Korea
Visit Anaheim South Korea Sales Mission
Mission Components
Hanbok Experience
US-ROK Alliance Dinner
Influencer Event
Events & Training
Travel Agent Seminar
Market Update
VIP Reception
Media Roundtable
7 Partners
95 Agents Trained
15 Media Articles
25 Influencers
1 Sister City Conn
ection
1 Mayoral Proclam
ation
Media Luncheon
2024 South Korea Programs
Visit California Japan Sales Mission – July 2024
FAMS (Ongoing)
Agent Training (Ongoing)