Search - travel

 
 
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 1, 2022

Japan's inbound tourism remains at a trickle as travelers shun group tours

Industry stakeholders are concerned that foreign visitors may soon make other plans and cancel or postpone visits to Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2022

Singapore aims to be Asia’s busiest international airport

Changi Airport is readying to welcome back visitors en masse, hoping improvements made during the pandemic will cement its status as Asia's premier aviation hub.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 11, 2022

In Europe, it’s planes vs. trains. For many travelers, rail is the way to go.

Train travel in Europe is on the upswing, but to see major growth in passenger traffic, the continent's railways will have to overcome a number of challenges.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2021

Airlines warn erratic global COVID-19 rules could delay recovery

Airlines called for an end to restrictions on vaccinated travelers and for common health protocols at borders, though global coordination in aviation tends to move at a deliberate pace.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2021

More transparency needed in Japan's virus border controls, justice minister says

A government warning that foreign nationals who breach quarantine regulations on arrival may have visas revoked or face deportation has reignited concerns among the international community.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 1, 2020

Rethinking the nation's dependence on Tokyo

As living with COVID-19 becomes more normal and with the risks of other pandemics growing, Japan needs to disperse important agencies and facilities around the country.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 6, 2020

Half a billion travelers show China’s economy moving past COVID-19

With the pandemic largely under control, the Golden Week holiday is putting on display the country's confidence in its economic rebound and its public health measures.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Sep 30, 2020

Seeking entry to Japan? Here’s what you need to know

Visa applicants will be required to meet strict conditions to receive permission to enter the country.
Passengers walk past a sign directing them to specific lines for EU and non EU passports as they arrive at Dublin Airport in Ireland in September 2019.
WORLD / Society
Jan 11, 2024

These are the world’s most powerful passports in 2024

A decade ago, the two countries shared the top spot, but comparing this year’s list to the 2014 ranking reveals some other major shifts.
A traveler walks past a flight information display at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Feb. 2 ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday that begins on Saturday in China.
JAPAN
Feb 8, 2024

Chinese visitors to Japan over Lunar New Year to fall short of 2019 level

Visa-free travel offered by some countries and last year's release of treated wastewater from Fukushima may be swaying Chinese travelers' decisions.
The Japan Tourism Agency plans to offer subsidies to develop travel products combining culinary and traditional cultural experiences in rural areas.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2024

Japan tourism agency to promote gastronomy tourism

As foreign tourists numbers spike post-pandemic, culinary travel has grown increasingly popular, especially among wealthy travelers.
Airplane fuselages outside the Boeing manufacturing facility in Washington. Boeing’s recent problems are further widening the gap between supply and demand.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 18, 2024

Boeing’s pain spreads to travelers as airlines cut back on plans

As a result, passengers will face fewer flight options and potentially higher prices on at least some popular short and midrange routes.
Japan fans during the women's team's Olympic qualifier against North Korea in Tokyo last month.
SOCCER
Mar 20, 2024

Japan warns football fans not to go to North Korea for World Cup qualifier

Japan and North Korea play in Tokyo on Thursday as part of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, before the return fixture next week.
Beijing-based Chinese influencer Chang Feifei has taken on many jobs to promote travel destinations in Japan, including from Universal Studios Japan and the Hankyu and Hanshin department stores.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Mar 28, 2024

Influencers — Japan’s secret weapon to promote niche tourism spots

Followers' trust in — and reliance on — social media for travel info, even when the content is sponsored, is a key factor.
The departure lobby for domestic flights is crowded with travelers at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Saturday, the first day of this year's Golden Week holidays.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2024

Golden Week crowds greeted with high temperatures as holiday period kicks off

The mercury soared as millions of travelers were venturing to both international and domestic destinations.
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji temple in Tokyo. This year is expected to bring 33 million travelers to Japan, an unprecedented surge and a 30% increase from last year.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 21, 2024

How an arrival tax could stem the overtourism tide

How can Japan ensure that tourism benefits locals and travelers alike? There's no silver bullet but an arrival tax of around $40 could be a good starting point.
Palestinian lightweight boxer Wassim Abu Sal ahead of a training session at a gym in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on June 22
OLYMPICS / Boxing
Jul 2, 2024

First Palestinian Olympic boxer fights hurdles before history

For Waseem Abu Sal, traveling abroad to train or compete comes with its own difficulties.
Shoppers pass food stalls at a night market in Taipei.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 11, 2024

Taiwan turns to Southeast Asian tourists as Chinese stay away

The trend, if it continues, could reshape a tourism sector long reliant on arrivals from China.
More tourists than ever are guided around Japan based on the content they consume online, but can those same creators help direct them to less-populated areas of the country?
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Jul 29, 2024

Influencers helped cause overtourism. Can they help fix it?

“I don't want to use filters or put out content just for the sake of views and followers,” one content creator says. “I want to show people what the real Japan is.”
Surrounded by Iranian lawmakers, Ismail Haniyeh (center), a chief political leader of Hamas, flashes a victory sign at a swearing-in ceremony for President Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran on Tuesday. Haniyeh was assassinated hours later, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said, a severe blow to the Palestinian group that threatens to engulf the region in further conflict.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 1, 2024

Iran and Hamas blame Israel for killing of top official and vow to strike back

In recent years, Israel has carried out several high-profile assassinations in Iran, rattling the country’s leaders.
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, gestures during a news conference in Kabul on May 26.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 22, 2024

Taliban bars U.N. human rights special rapporteur from Afghanistan

Richard Bennett is based outside Afghanistan but has visited several times to research the situation there.
JR Tokai officials send off the Nozomi No. 1 bullet train bound for Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, at Tokyo Station on Tuesday as the Tokaido Shinkansen marked the 60th anniversary of its services the same day.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2024

Tokaido Shinkansen marks 60th anniversary

A commemorative ceremony was held by Central Japan Railway at Tokyo Station to send off the first train of the day.
A man waits for a train at Ebisu Station in Tokyo on Oct. 4.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 29, 2024

Japan's rail fans disapprove of new Seishun 18 tickets

Train enthusiasts are up in arms over changes to the iconic and inexpensive all-you-can-ride pass that will limit how and when it can be used.
Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
BUSINESS / Longform
Nov 11, 2024

A boom for business tourism in Japan?

Japan’s MICE sector is expanding rapidly, adapting with tech upgrades, flexible venues and sustainable initiatives as the Osaka Expo approaches.
Tour guides wait to collect tour groups from Hong Kong outside the Shenzhen Bay border crossing in Shenzhen, China
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2024

Educated young Chinese turn to tour guiding as job market wavers

Tour guiding is becoming an increasingly popular fallback option in a China rife with employment instability as the economy slows.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives at King Khalid International airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 9.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 6, 2025

Starmer’s travels outstrip past U.K. leaders, posing ratings risk

The premier has spent 31 days on working trips since he took office following his Labour Party’s landslide win in the July 4 general election.
Transparent Display installed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
JAPAN / Society
Jan 31, 2025

Smoother communication breaking barriers in Tokyo with Transparent Display

The Transparent Display can translate and project the text in 32 different languages.
Chinese tour groups visit a waterfront promenade in Hong Kong on May 5.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 9, 2025

Can big stars bring higher-spending tourists back to Hong Kong?

Hong Kong, which once billed itself as Asia’s World City, is now seeking to brand itself as the region’s events capital.
The classic red brick arches of Tokyo’s first “gādo-shita,” built in 1910, are what most Japanese people think of when they think about commercial spaces under elevated railways.
LIFE / Style & Design / Longform
Jun 16, 2025

Revitalizing the space under Tokyo’s train tracks

Rail underpasses in big cities are being transformed into vibrant spaces for artisans, foodies and travelers — without erasing their past.
Airbnb's second-quarter net income was $642 million, beating analyst expectations.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 7, 2025

Airbnb warns of slowing growth despite strong Q2 earnings

Results were surprisingly strong in the second half of last year, as travelers ultimately booked trips that they had delayed, which could make for tough comparisons.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes