Superiority of international city “Tokyo” (4) Tokyo is ranked # 1 in “Overall Satisfaction” of travelers among global big cities
Tokyo is enhancing its position not only as a business destination but also as a tourist destination.
In 2014, “TripAdvisor” had conducted a traveler questionnaire targeting the top 37 countries and major cities ranked by UNWTO (the World Tourism Organization), on the number of travelers who entered from overseas. In the ranking, Tokyo was honored the first position in “Overall Satisfaction.”
Among the 16 items which had been evaluated, Tokyo obtained the highest score in five items below:
“Helpful locals”;
“Best taxi services”;
“Cleanest streets”;
“Best Public Transport”; and
“Best overall experience”
On the other items, Tokyo is ranked second in “Friendliest Taxi Drivers” and “Comfort Traveling Alone”, third place in “Best for Restaurants” and “Best for Nightlife”, fifth in “Best for Shopping”, eighth in “Ease of getting around”, “Best for Hotels” and “Family-friendliness”. Tokyo was ranked in the top 10 in 13 of the 16 items. On the contrary, the evaluation was low in “Best for Culture” (11th place), “Best for Attractions” (13th), and “Best Value for money” (20th).
Regarding the “Ease of getting around”, even now, we often see foreign travelers getting on subways without trouble using smartphone applications and so on, and toward the upcoming Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2020, Wi-Fi environments are expected to further improve.
I am concerned about the evaluation on “Best for culture”. Foreign tourists frequently experience Japanese traditional culture such as Kabuki, however the opportunities for Japanese people to experience such traditional culture is decreasing. We would like to be able to explain about the Japanese culture properly if foreigners ask us.
In terms of “Best Value for money”, I can point out some reasons such as, the Japanese hotels charge accommodation fee per person (if two people stayed in one room, each guest are charged), and the taxi fare is high when compared to the other cities in the world.
As for new system such as “renting private homes and rooms” and “Uber”, most of the Japanese people seem to be confused and have opposite feelings to them because of the existing concepts and social frameworks. However as the Japanese society and the Japanese become more globalized, the problem may be resolved naturally.
Over the four-part series, I have introduced the superiority of the international city Tokyo. Through this series, I felt once again, that it is important for the Japanese people to understand the Japanese culture deeply and to cherish them. In addition, we do not have to specialize the increasing foreign visitors. We need to treat them in the same way as we treat other Japanese people. Based on these factors, I believe that the superiority of the “International City Tokyo” will be further enhanced.
