Page 16 - IAV Digital Magazine #553

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
In Japan's 'Random Travel' Trend, Lady Luck Chooses The Destination
So-called random trips, in which desti- nations are deter- mined randomly by lottery or other means, are gaining popularity in Japan.
In addition to the thrill of leaving travel plans up to chance, railway operators and airlines making using such strategies are provid- ing the incentive of affordability through discounts.
The move is aimed at reviving the demand for travel, which slumped during the
COVID-19 crisis.
In July, West Japan Railway, also known as JR West, released the “Saikoro Kippu,” which is an app- based train ticket in which destinations are decided by the roll of virtual dice.
The round-trip ticket uses seven stations — some with Shinkansen lines, some without — as possible destinations, including Shirahama Station in Wakayama Prefecture and Kurashiki Station in
Okayama Prefecture, both in western Japan.
Priced at ¥5,000, the ticket allows users to take the trip with a roughly 45% to 83% discount, depending on the destination.
Tickets must be applied for and will be sold for a limited time only. Applications will be accepted through the end of September, but the ticket has already seen stronger-than-expect- ed demand.
“We want users to enjoy the game-like aspect and cost per- formance,” a JR West official said.
Similarly, East Japan Railway, or JR East, plans to release the “Dokokani Byun,” a round-trip package in December.
In this package, which can be bought with JR East’s reward points worth the equivalent to ¥6,000, users who enter their travel dates and start locations are provided four stations as candi- date destinations out of 47 stations on the Tohoku, Hokuriku and other Shinkansen lines.
If the users like the four stations, they can apply for the trip, after which one of the four stations will be ran- domly selected as the destination.
The concept of ran- dom trips gained attention after low- cost airline Peach Aviation, under the wing of ANA Holdings,
released the “Tabikuji,” in which users buy flight tickets without knowing the destinations, last summer.
Japan Airlines has been offering random trips since 2016, when it launched a service in which mileage points can be traded for flights to random locations.
Masami Morishita, professor at Toyo University specializing in travel industry trends, said that many people are interested in traveling but find it a hassle to decide where to go.
“Random trips are attractive as they nar- row down the options to some extent,” Morishita said.
Such trips are hoped to spur new tourist demand as they cre- ate opportunities to visit locations users may not be knowl- edgeable of, Morishita also said.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine