With trips to and from Tokyo eligible for the government's Go To Travel tourism promotion campaign from this month, railroad travel has seen an upsurge.
According to Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai), reservations for travel products that its group travel agencies designed for trips such as by Tokaido Shinkansen trains were at only 30% of last year's level for trips in September, but had recovered to 70% for trips in October.
The number of reservations for similar travel products from East Japan Railway Co. stood at 14% in August compared to year earlier, but increased to 29% in October.
As for private railway companies based in and around Tokyo, there are signs of recovery in the numbers of participants on tours they plan and the number of customers at affiliated hotels.
Tobu Railway Co. has sold out 170 seats for a one-day trip from Tokyo to Tochigi Prefecture on a Tobu express train on Saturday, touring Nikko and Kinugawa with a steam locomotive.
On the Miura Peninsula of Kanagawa Prefecture, hotels in Miura and Yokosuka that are affiliated with Keikyu Corp., which runs trains in the area, also reported great increases in reservation numbers in October compared to those in September. Customers from Tokyo planning overnight stays were particularly noticeable, according to Keikyu.
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