- Development Background
The 1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour by SUNRISE TOURS takes one to the middle of Mt. Fuji, one of Japan's most iconic World Heritage sites. One will then experience the natural beauty of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park with a cruise on Lake Ashinoko, known for its stunning scenery, and the cable car. The tour includes meals and an English-speaking guide.
Previously, the tour offered a pork- and alcohol-free Japanese meal as well as non-veg and veg Japanese meals. However, to cater to the growing number of visitors from India, a veg thali meal has been introduced, which has been a long-requested option by Indian customers.
- Veg Thali Meal Highlights
JTB team travelled to India, the home of thali, with a purpose to develop the SUNRISE TOURS’ original thali menu and to understand the Indian food culture. SUNRISE TOURS collaborated with a team of JTB India of the JTB Group, the team repeatedly tried different types of curry and garnishes until they completed the recipe with a chef.
Three types of curry (spinach, butter dal, mixed vegetables), Naan, saffron rice, onions, tomatoes, and lassi.
Note: Veg thali does not contain any meat or fish. However, it does contain animal ingredients such as cheese in curries and yoghurt in lassis.
- Future Outlook
With India’s predicted economic growth and its strong relationship with Japan, JTB believes that more Indian travellers will visit Japan in the future. In January-May 2024, approximately 100,000 people visited Japan with an increase of 56.5% year-on-year as per statistics by JNTO: Japan National Tourism Organization sourced from Visitor arrivals statistics. To cater to their needs, JTB is expanding the veg meal options and enhancing travel packages that reflect Indian preferences and food culture. JTB will reach out to Indian travellers by collaborating with JTB India’s four branches in India, local agents, and OTAs specialising in local regions.
*Reference: From Preliminary Figures for Visitor Arrivals to Japan in April and May 2024 announced by JNTO
