
-
Indian army says new exchange of gunfire with Pakistan
-
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre takes own life in Australia: family
-
Hundreds of buildings damaged, dozens injured in 6.3 Ecuador quake
-
India and Pakistan's Kashmir fallout hits economy too
-
Francis's funeral to be grand farewell to 'pope of the poor'
-
Pogacar faces defiant Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege
-
Chelsea eye great escape against Barcelona in Women's Champions League
-
Iran, US to hold new round of high-level nuclear talks
-
'Energy and effort' pay off for Reds as Blues' woes continue
-
Albatross and closing birdie lift China's Liu to LPGA Chevron lead
-
On the horizon? Wave of momentum for high seas treaty
-
Developing countries should fast-track US trade deals: World Bank president
-
Grizzlies' Morant 'doubtful' for must-win game 4 v Thunder
-
Trump in Rome for pope funeral in first foreign trip of new term
-
Trump says Russia-Ukraine deal 'very close' after new Kremlin talks
-
US rookies lead PGA pairs event with McIlroy and Lowry in hunt
-
Trump tariff promises get a reality check
-
Warriors coach Kerr 'relatively optimistic' injured Butler will play game 3
-
Postecoglou hopes 'Stonecutter's Credo' can inspire Spurs
-
PSG lose unbeaten Ligue 1 record ahead of Arsenal showdown
-
Venezuela accuses El Salvador president of 'human trafficking'
-
Own goal takes Sundowns to African final against Pyramids
-
Scores of buildings damaged, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
US stocks extend rally as market eyes busy calendar next week
-
Pope's death triggers surge of disinformation he fought against
-
Rovanpera takes control of Rally Islas Canarias
-
Zelensky insists Crimea is Ukrainian as US envoy meets Putin
-
Patel and Mendis help Sunrisers beat Kings in Dhoni's 400th T20
-
Copa del Rey ref statements 'unacceptable': Real Madrid after boycotting final build-up
-
Insurance CEO's accused killer pleads not guilty to federal murder charges
-
FBI arrests Wisconsin judge for shielding undocumented migrant
-
Brazil ex-president Collor de Mello jailed for corruption
-
Zelensky insists Crimea 'belongs' to Ukraine as US envoy meets Putin
-
Real Madrid boycott Copa del Rey build-up over referee complaints
-
Trinidad and Tobago votes for parliament, PM, with opposition in lead
-
IMF chief hails 'constructive' Spring Meetings held under tariff uncertainty
-
Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US
-
Dozens of buildings destroyed, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
Young Barca must 'enjoy' Real Madrid Copa final fight: Flick
-
Pakistan and India border closure separates families
-
Brazil's Bolsonaro 'stable' after post-surgery setback
-
Catholics in secular Cuba hail Francis as 'bridge'
-
US envoy Witkoff, Putin discuss 'possibility' of direct Russia-Ukraine talks
-
Community seeks answers after French school knife killing
-
German prosecutors seek jail terms in VW 'dieselgate' trial
-
Sabalenka makes winning start at Madrid Open
-
EU, US should de-escalate and negotiate trade deal: IMF Europe director
-
Russia accuses Ukraine of killing general in car bombing
-
Emery wants FA Cup glory and Champions League berth for Villa
-
Buildings destroyed, one injured in Ecuador quake

Japan's tourism boom prices out business travellers
After travelling to Tokyo for meetings, Yoshiki Kojima's IT company employees crash out in a capsule hotel, as a tourism boom makes regular rooms too pricey for business trips.
A weak yen is attracting more visitors than ever to Japan, with national tourism figures for 2024, released Wednesday, expected to top 2019's record of nearly 32 million.
But that is also raising prices for Kojima's staff and other Japanese business travellers.
Capsule hotels, a Japanese institution, offer claustrophobic bed-sized pods, often double-stacked in rows.
They have a "shabby" reputation, Kojima said, so he found a more comfortable establishment that boasts high-end mattresses and a TV in each capsule.
"It's clean, convenient and has a traditional shared bath house. My employees say it's fun," he told AFP.
A night in a standard capsule there starts at 5,000 yen ($30) -- but its rates are rising, according to Kojima.
It is still cheaper than a basic private room at a business hotel, which in the Japanese capital cost 20,048 yen ($130) on average in November.
That's up from the pre-pandemic peak of 12,926 yen ($80 at today's rates) in April 2019, shows research by Tokyo Hotel Kai, a group of around 200 hotels.
"I'm happy there are so many visitors to Japan, but I'm agonising every day about finding a flexible way" to run the business, said Kojima, who needs to bring around 20 to 30 employees to the capital for company-wide meetings.
- 'What do I do?' -
The Japanese economy benefits from the surge in foreign tourists because it creates jobs and the visitors spend money, analyst Takuto Yasuda of NLI Research Institute said.
"But it has a negative impact as well, such as Japanese people not being able to travel, or their daily lives being affected by overtourism," he told AFP.
Japan's chronic labour shortages and an increase in hotel supply costs are also pushing up the fees, he added.
Keisuke Morimoto, who runs a kimono shop in Japan's western Nara region, was shocked when he learned a two-night stay at a Tokyo hotel would cost him 60,000 yen.
"Seriously, what do I do for the hotel for my business trip?" he wrote X.
Morimoto told AFP he is thinking of using short-term rental platform Airbnb, which has cheaper options.
Some tourist spots are fighting back against overtourism, including the ancient capital of Kyoto, where residents have complained of visitors harassing the city's famed geisha.
Now Kyoto plans to hike its accommodation taxes, including by up to 10 times for top-end hotels, the mayor said Tuesday.
- Concentrated demand -
Japan wants to welcome 60 million visitors a year by 2030.
This could mean even more expensive domestic business trips to Tokyo, Osaka and major cities, where demand for hotel bookings has spiked thanks to crowds of first-time visitors.
The number of foreign visitors to Tokyo has doubled since 2019, and was up 1.5 times in Osaka, government data show.
To even things out, the government wants tourists to visit lesser-known destinations, encouraging them to stay at least two nights in rural towns.
Yasuda agrees that funnelling visitors elsewhere is key to easing pressure on city hotels.
The occupancy rate in 2024 for business hotels in Tokyo run by major operator Fujita Kanko was 88 percent, and average rates were up 26 percent from last year, the company said.
"Currently, demand is concentrated in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, so we are hoping that this will spread to Sapporo, Naha and other smaller regions," the firm said.
IT company boss Kojima may resort to drastic measures.
"I'm thinking of moving our headquarters to Sapporo, or organising a meeting in a hot spring town near Tokyo," he said.
"There are many areas that aren't flooded with tourists, and we can take advantage of that."
D.Kaufman--AMWN