Q – (12.1.24) – This site has been really amazing and we use it to guide our future travel planning. Some day we hope to be able to afford your personal services. Like everyone else, we have a bucket list, and Japan is at the top of the list. But we keep hearing that Japan is one of the two or three most expensive cities on earth to visit so we’ve put it off for years. Just wondering your thoughts – we can afford to travel well but we do have limits on what we will spend on any single two-week trip. Should we just take Tokyo off the list?
A – There are several inaccurate assumptions in your question. The news is all good so we are very pleased you took the time to ask us.
Tokyo/Japan being the most expensive city int he world is a long-held travel myth. Some of it has been perpetuated by travel writers and bloggers. In fact, the latest edition of the Economist’s List of the World’s Most expensive cities based on cost of living and travel statistics, shows that of the sixty most expensive cities to visit or live in on earth, Tokyo ranks number sixty. There are 59 worldwide cities that are more expensive than Japan.
We recently returned from our twice-annual Signature vacation with our clients and did a cruise around Japan on Regent Seven Seas preceded by three nights in Tokyo. Our group was sop impressed with the costs we encountered that many, among our 53 guests, did a surprising amount of shopping. Prices were that good.
Absolutely go to Japan and you will quickly see that reports of its high prices are greatly exaggerated.
In terms of your comment that you hope to be able to afford our “personal services” – we will only state one fact. In 2023, 91% of our transactions and services to our clients were offered on a complimentary basis with no fees of any kind. In 2024, after all is tabulated, we expect that figure to be about the same.
Forget about us – the fact is that you can normally utilize the experience and knowledge, as well as access, of a top-tier travel advisor on a complimentary basis. AND – please note that if you should decide to make your own arrangements without using a travel advisor, you are still going to pay the built-in travel advisor commission. It is a part of every price quote and direct bookings allow the cruise line, tour operator, or hotel to more than double their profit without informing the consumer as to what they are doing.
