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2009/10/16

JTB Sunrise Tours Announces 2010 Tour Lineup!

Sales for JTB Sunrise Tours new lineup for calendar year 2010 will start Wednesday, October 7, 2009, featuring more than 3000 variations and tours for visitors to Japan. Sunrise Tours are offered by JTB Global Marketing & Travel, a JTB group company, and have been the premium brand of tours for inbound travelers to Japan for more than 45 years.
With the travel industry strongly affected by the severe economic decline, the rising yen and the new strain of influenza, Sunrise Tours thoroughly reviewed its lineup to make it even more attractive to 2010 visitors. Key features of the new lineup are:

1.	New pricing policy to reduce the effect of the rising yen, i.e.
	-Discounts during off-season months (January, February, December) -A new discount for those using a triple room.
2.	Enticing tours developed in collaboration with local communities,
	-New tours to the Okayama/Seto Inland Sea area, and the first tours to be offered in western Tokushima　(Shikoku) -A renovated, reasonably-priced Tateyama/Kurobe Alpine tour
3.	Improved On-line Sales Base
	-Introduction of a newly designed e-Brochures

With this new lineup, Sunrise Tours aims to increase its customer base to 210,000 in 2010, a 30% increase over 2009.

1. New Pricing Policy to Reduce the Effect of the Rising Yen
The 20% rise in the value of the yen, compared to January 2008, is one of the strongest factors behind the decrease in inbound travel. To offset this, Sunrise Tours reviewed pricing for its key tours along the Golden Route (tours in the Mount Fuji/Hakone area and Kyoto), as well as the popular Takayama tour and one-day trips to Kyoto. In addition, discounts will be offered during the off-season months (January, February and December), and a new discount will be offered to those using a triple-room.

As a result, customers will be able to take advantage of values equivalent to prices set in 2007.

<**Examples of Key Price Reductions**>
Course	2010 Fares (per Adult) （Lowest fare is off-season, twin-room use）	Reduction from 2009 Fares (per Adult, twin-room use)
Sunrise Highlight – 3 days	\64,900 - \111,900	6.3％ - 19.8％
Sunrise Express to Kyoto (1 day)	\39,900 - \49,900	19.4％ - 20.0％
Takayama/Shirakawago/Kanazawa (3 days, from Takayama)	\70,100 - \82,700	9.7% - 27.2%

***Maximum reduction in case triple room use Sunrise Hightlight 3 days 26.5% Takayama/Shirakawago/Kanazawa 3 days from Takayama 28.9%

2. Enticing Tours Developed in Collaboration with Local Areas
While improving the key Golden Route Tours, Sunrise has also been active in developing new packages for repeat visitors interested in traveling to other areas in Japan. 2010 is no exception, as Sunrise teamed up with JTB group companies and local communities to expand its lineup to include the Shikoku area for the first time.

I. Okayama/Seto Inland Sea Area
American and French travelers in particular are showing more and more interest in the Naoshima area, and this tour features visits to Okayama and Kurashiki, highlighting ancient ruins as well as traditional towns. A large increase in visitors is expected for the 2010 Seto International Arts Festival.

II. West Tokushima
With its natural beauty and landscapes reminiscent of traditional Japan, the Iyadani area has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, thanks to the efforts of Alex Kerr, an American East Asian scholar living there. Many guidebooks now include information on the area and individual travel is increasing., creating a demand for more accessible tours.

III. Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route
A very popular destination for visitors from Asia, Sunrise Tours worked with Toyama Prefecture to improve the tour introduced in 2009, creating a more accessible and reasonably priced one-night/two-day tour with greater appeal for visitors from the U.S. and Europe as well.

**<Full Lineup of Tours Throughout Japan>**
Depart From	Course Outlines	Main Target
Hokkaido	3-nights/4 days Free Plan in Southern Hokkaido. Two variations, with and without JR pass.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Tokyo	Popular city tours; one-day trips to Mt. Fuji/Hakone, Nikko, Kamakura and areas around Tokyo; longer trips to Kyoto, Takayama, the Tateyama/Kurobe Alpine Route, Southern Tohoku, Kyushu and Shikoku.	Europe, U.S.,Australia,
Nagoya	Popular day and night Nagoya city tours, Toyota Factory Tour, guided excursion to Mt. Fuji/Hakone、Free Plan one-day excursion to Takayama and other unique offerings.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Takayama	Depart/disband in Takayama, visiting Shirakawago and Kanazawa. The perfect choice for visitors who have a Japan RailPass.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Kyoto	A new one-day excursion to Koyasan enhances the popular lineup of Kyoto city tours. Other new offers include trips departing from Kyoto to Tokyo, Northern Japan, Shimani, Shikoku and West Shikoku.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Hiroshima	One-day tour includes the Itsukushima World Heritage Site, and the Atomic Dome.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Okayama	Excursions to Korakuen and Kurashiki, to Seto National Park and the Seto Ohashi Bridge and to Bichu-Takahashi, a well-known traditional town.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Takamatsu	New course to the Tokushima・Nishiawa area.	Europe, U.S.,Australia
Fukuoka	Two courses to choose from, one to Arita and Nagasaki, and the other to Nagasaki, Kumamoto/Aso and Kagoshima. Both courses start and finish at Fukuoka Airport.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Naha	Free Plan course including a Naha city tour and resort stay, as well as other Naha tours. Private tours also available.	Foreign residents, Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia

**<"Hands-On Japan" Cultural Experience Tours Expanded in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka>**
Traditional Culture	A wide variety of tours from Kimono, Flower Arrangement, Tea Ceremony and Calligraphy to the chance to be professionally photographed in a wedding kimono. Other unique experiences include incense appreciation and, from Kyoto, zen meditation and woodblock print creation.	Europe, U.S.,Australia
Pop Culture	Tour Akihabara, the world of electronics and anime, maid cafes, and figurines.	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Cuisine	Learn how to make your own sushi (Tokyo, Kyoto) or “okonomiyaki” (Osaka). In Kyoto, also possible to make your own tofu, or go sake-tasting!	Europe, U.S.,Australia, Asia
Samurai Culture	Become a samurai or ninja for the day!	Europe, U.S.,Australia

*Tours in languages other than English (the Moderno Classico series and Chinese) will be announced separately.

3. Increased use of the Web for B2B, B2C Sales Promotion
Sunrise Tours will offer its new 2010 lineup in a specially prepared Web pamphlet, decreasing dependency on paper-based sales promotion, making more detailed information available not only to GMT’s worldwide network of 4000 agents but also to individual customers in all corners of the globe. This will also reduce paper usage, contributing to environmental protection.
Future announcements of seasonal tours and limited offers will also be made primarily on the Web.
See e-Brochures

4. Additional Information
		Japan Tour Packages Available Arriving/Departing from Kansai International Airport Japan Tour Packages offer travelers complete services and tours from airport pickup to departure send-off. Kansai International Airport will be added to the choice of airports in 2010, making it even more convenient for travelers using airlines such as Qatar and Emirates, which fly into only Kansai International.
		All Japan Tour Packages Customers to Receive Mobile Phones Mobile phones will be supplied to all Japan Tour Package customers at no rental charge, further enhancing tour value
		Transportation Options Enhance Tour Flexibility 1) Fuji/Hakone 1-day Tour (return by Shinkansen) Travelers proceeding to west Japan after the tour will be able to choose to leave the tour at Odawara. 2) “The Shinkansen Tour” (Free Plan) One-way transportation from Tokyo plus hotel accommodations will added to the current lineup featuring round-trip transportation and accommodations.
		New Courses Added to the Increasingly Popular Free Plan Series The following courses will be added to the increasingly popular, very reasonably priced free plan (no guide) series, which include Shinkansen transportation and hotel accomodations: a. Kyoto and Osaka 3 days (from \24,500) b. Toba and Kyoto 3 days (from \42,700) c. Koya-san and Kyoto 3 days (from \39,500) d. Okayama 2 days (from \32,900) (Prices are the minimum charge per person for 2 persons in one room, from March to November, with one-way transportation from Tokyo)
		First Class Shinkansen Upgrade Now Available Optional upgrade to first class on the Shinkansen will be available for free plan packages to Kyoto, enhancing the Shinkansen experience.
		Hotel Accomodations Only Now Available at 48 Hotels in 10 Cities Responding to the needs and demands for a greater choice of hotels in more areas, in 2010 Sunrise Tours will expand its list of hotels to include 48 hotels in 10 cities, including Tokyo.
		Taxi Transportation Plan Now Available To/From Narita Airport A taxi transportation option will be available from 2010, to and from Narita Airport and designated areas in Tokyo and Chiba, providing door-to-door service without any waiting. (available to/from the 23 Tokyo Metropolitan wards, Mitaka and Musashino, or Chiba, Makuhari and Maihama)
		Earphone Guides to Improve Guiding Service Earphone guides will be introduced on tours such as Nikko 1-day, Kamakura, Sushi Experience and other tours where it has been difficult to clearly hear guide explanations.

**[Reference]Top 5 Tours in 2009 (based on number of customers)**
No.1:	Mt. Fuji & Hakone (return by Shinkansen or motor coach)
	The perennial top-seller
No.2:	The Shinkansen Tour
	Free plan type, the only tour series with a sales increase over 2008
No.3:	Nikko & Kegon Waterfall (1-day)
	A World Heritage Site particularly popular with visitors from the Americas and Europe.
No.4:	Tokyo Morning
	The essential tour - to Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace and Asakusa
No.5:	Kyoto 1-day City Tour
	Includes Nijo Castle, the Golden Pavilion, and Kiyomizudera.

5. To Make Reservations
		By Telephone （excluding December 31st） Sunrise Center（English）　TEL：03-5796-5454　Open Hours:7:30-22:00* *There are some exceptions (for example, tours with accommodations): 9:30-18：00
		Online Reservations（with the exception of some tours） JTB Multilingual Site: JAPANiCAN.COM http://www.japanican.com/ Sunrise Tours Site: http://www.jtb-sunrisetours.jp/
		Also through designated domestic and overseas travel agents

For further information, please contact:
JTB Global Marketing & Travel. Inc.
Sunrise Tours Division
Marketing & Development Team
TEL： 03-5796-5451
E-mail: sunrise01@jtb.jp
URL：http://www.jtb-sunrisetours.jp/

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