Tourism Foreign-affiliated hotels sprouting in Kyoto and Osaka

• 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."

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