Source: NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

With approximately 3.5 million travelers expected to come to the U.S. from Asia now through 2016, spending on average $5,100 per trip, adding NHK
WORLD
TV to a hotel's in-room entertainment package or TV channel line-up is an effective way to show hospitality to international travelers;

Visit NHK
WORLD
TV in Booth 1231 at HITEC June 25-28 at the Baltimore Convention Center

Tokyo — June 13, 2012 — It's a safe bet that members of Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP), the hospitality industry's accounting association and producer of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC), like numbers. Therefore, if you are attending this year's premier technology event, here are some statistics to consider:

  • According to an April 2012 U.S. Commerce department report,
    the United States can expect 4 to 5 percent average annual growth in tourism over the next five years, in which 65.4 million foreign travelers are projected to visit the United States in 2012 alone. The
    2012 Travel and Tourism Forecast, released by the U.S. Commerce Department's International Trade Administration (ITA), predicts continued strong growth through 2016.
  • Tourists from all world regions are forecast to grow over the five year period. High growth (+49 percent) will come from Asia.
  • The North America world region is forecast to account for the largest proportion of the total visitor growth of 14 million visitors, of which travelers from Asia will make up 25 percent.

NHK, Japan's sole public broadcasting company, is introducng NHK WORLD TV for the first time at HITEC. NHK WORLD TV, the international channel distributed by NHK's subsidiary, Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), will showcase its free-to-guest,English-speakingnews, business and lifestyle programming service that is truly a welcoming sight for international travelers and a complement to a hotel's new or existing in-room entertainment package.

"Considering that 3.5 million travelers are expected to visit the U.S. from Asia over the next five years, hoteliers can't ignore the benefits that NHK WORLD TV can offer to international travelers and hotel operators," said Jules Sieburgh, a hospitality technology consultant and HFTP International Technology Hall of Fame inductee in 1998. "An easy way to make the United States more welcoming to international visitors is by offering them information and entertainment when they want it, how they want it and from a perspective they trust. Today that's possible with NHK WORLD TV."

The Numbers Don't Lie

NHK WORLD TV provides 30 minute weekday and weeknight newscasts produced in English, with content coming from 80 correspondents stationed in 30 news bureaus around the world, including London, New York, Los Angeles, Beijing, Jerusalem and Cairo. Today 85.5 million households in Europe, 32.5 million in the Middle East and Africa, 30.5 million in Asia, 7.3 million in North and South America, and 440,000 in Australia and the South Pacific are devoted viewers of NHK WORLD TV.

Here are a few more numbers for HITEC visitors to ponder (provided by the U.S. Travel Assn.):

  • F
    rom 2009 to 2011, more than 3.2 million travelers arrived in the U.S. from Japan.
  • Japanese visitors spend on average $5,100 during a trip in the U.S.
  • Japanese travel to the U.S. resulted in $16.7 billion in 2011, and spending by travelers from Japan supported 127,000 jobs in the United States last year.
  • Nearly a quarter of the increase in travel exports over the past two years has come from in the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, China, Japan and South Korea. Collectively, the spending by these four countries in 2011 supported 233,000 U.S. jobs, 14,200 more than were supported in 2010.
  • Total international tourist arrivals are projected to grow another 36 percent between 2010 and 2020 on a worldwide basis. The U.S. has a chance to regain its lost market share and attract billions in new travel exports. Outbound long-haul travel from Australia, China, Japan and South Korea is expected to increase by 24 million over the next five years.

"By adding NHK WORLD TV to a hotel's TV channel line-up, owners and operators are enhancing the stay experience for international guests, and simultaneously achieving brand loyalty and establishing differentiation," said Jay Campbell, NHK WORLD TV U.S. contact. "Better yet, it's absolutely FREE to add it the hotel's existing in-room entertainment package or free-to-guest program.

"From a technology standpoint, NHK WORLD TV is broadcast in high definition video via widescreen format with high quality sound to give viewers the feeling of actually being on location," he said. "The broadcast is also available online and via smartphone, making it it easily adaptable to any hotel's mobile guest-service strategy."

Today 300,000+ hotel rooms already feature NHK WORLD TV. Shouldn't you? To pre-schedule an appointment, email Jay Campbell at [email protected] or call (201) 666-5131.

About NHK | NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan's sole public broadcaster, operating the country's largest national and international television network. In Japan, NHK offers four TV channels (two terrestrial; two satellite, All channels are digital HD
), and three radio services. NHK also operates two international television channels NHK WORLD TV (English, HD, 24/7) and NHK WORLD PREMIUM (Japanese,24/7) and offers international radio services in 18 languages. NHK WORLD TV can be viewed by more than 1
50
million households worldwide.

About Japan International Broadcasting, Inc. | Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of NHK, is consigned by NHK to be responsible for the worldwide distribution of the HD English language news/lifestyle program "
NHK WORLD TV
", as well as the Japanese language program "NHK
WORLD PREMIUM
." Currently, the two channels are broadcast around the world on three international satellites and reach households, hotels and others via DTH, cable, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast
.

Jay Campbell
(201) 666-5131