As part of my work related to high-end travel in Japan:
- I accompanied and guided board members of multinationals (mostly citizens of India and diverse countries in the Middle East) during business trips, notably translating during factory visits. Similar work for the leaders of export companies from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.
- I accompanied the families of some of these board members during vacations in Japan. The biggest family trip was a couple + 2 maids + 5 children. The challenge was not the high-end travel in itself. The challenge was the religious aspect: halal food, suitable souvenirs (e.g. long sleeves instead of tee-shirts, prayers in the right setting).
- I notably accompanied, guided and interpreted for VIP cyclists from the USA in Noto peninsula and around Shimanami-kaido. I had already been involved many times in high-end travel but that’s the first time the clients came by private jet.
- I did consulting at diverse countryside destinations to assess and enable tourism & hospitality for affluent travellers. That included tours in small planes to see keyhole-shaped burial mounds in Kansai. I am currently consulting for high-end travel including a helicopter tour in Yamanashi prefecture.
For high-end travellers, important points include:
- Language skills. There is an expectation to be able to communicate at least in English even in the Japanese countryside. Interpreters may help but there may be a need while they e.g. sleep.
- The personality of the guide e.g. friendly, helpful, flexible.
- The flexibility of people and companies. Japanese travel agencies and related stakeholders strive on high-quality early organization but high-end travellers may find this stressful/frustrating/annoying. Why? Because high-end travellers typically want to be able to adapt their trip to changing desires & schedules even during their trip.