Tourism Foreign-affiliated hotels sprouting in Kyoto and Osaka

[thomas]

As competition for guests in Kansai and elsewhere in Japan heats up, 2024 has seen a significant increase in foreign-owned hotels due to a rise in international visitors spurred by the weak yen. This trend is particularly evident in Kyoto and Osaka. Hilton, a major American hotel chain, is opening four new hotels, highlighting the growing competition for guests.

The new hotels include:

• The DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Station
• Hilton Kyoto in the Kawaramachi-Sanjo area
• DoubleTree by Hilton Osaka Castle
• Grand Green Osaka (Hilton's Canopy brand)
• Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka
• additionally, Britain's IHG Hotels & Resorts plans to renovate three existing hotels in central Osaka

Regarding the opening of foreign-affiliated hotels one after another, Kenichiro Yokoyama, a professor specializing in tourism management at Ritsumeikan University at the graduate school level, expressed expectations for benefits from the new openings, saying, "Major cities like New York and Hong Kong have even more foreign-owned hotels. The new openings in Japan could attract members of these hotel chains from abroad, contributing to the government's goal of receiving 60 million visitors to Japan in 2030." How should Japanese hotels respond? Yokoyama suggests, "It's important to improve brand strength. In Thailand, where foreign-affiliated companies have also made inroads, people visiting from Western countries have become aware of local hotels, too. Amid competition with international brands, I think unique hotels that make the most of Japan's regional characteristics can thrive."

Foreign-affiliated hotels opening in Kyoto, Osaka as competition for guests heats up - The Mainichi

OSAKA -- Numerous foreign-owned hotels have opened their doors across Japan in 2024 as the country experiences a surge in overseas visitors driven by

mainichi.jp