In an attempt to boost tourism by giving visitors better, unbiased travel and hotel advice, the Transport Ministry will begin a project later this month to survey the nation's guest accommodations, ministry officials said Wednesday.
Between April 15 and May 22 the ministry will begin the project with a survey of guests at about 40 hotels and inns in Beppu, a hot spring resort town in Oita Prefecture. Guests will be asked to rate the facilities on a scale of one to 10 in five areas such as food and services. The ministry will publicize the survey results near the end of July, and officials said they hope to carry out the project in the rest of the country.
The project hopes to stimulate travel, especially among foreigners who may have limited information about Japanese inns and other travel facilities in the country, the official said.
Beppu was chosen for its popularity among foreign travelers, such as those from neighboring South Korea, the ministry said.
Although there are travel books and magazines, they give limited information such as price and location and are often supported by hotel advertisements, making it difficult to provide objective data, the officials said.
The ministry plans to report survey results in English via the Internet.