Tokyo — May 15, 2012 — When it comes to IT investment projects for 2012, guestroom technologies is topping the list, according to the 2nd Annual Lodging Technology Study conducted by Hospitality Technology magazine. Hotels and brands focused on attracting international travelers need to be mindful to offer relevant in-room content and HD programming. For the very first time, Japan’s sole public broadcaster, operating the country’s largest national and international television network, is coming to the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) June 25 to 28 at the Baltimore Convention Center. NHK World TV will feature its popular HD- and SD-based English-language broadcasting service, consisting live news from around the world at the top of every hour followed by Asian lifestyle programs, at HITEC in Booth 1231.
 
"The guestroom TV is proving to be more valuable than ever before as guests rely on it to deliver content, information and media on demand," said Jay Campbell, NHK World TV U.S. contact. "While hoteliers are investing heavily in expanding their in-room content and entertainment options this year, it's important that they do not overlook the desires of their international guests. Today's global travelers need an international perspective including Asia, and NHK World TV is able to deliver that and so much more."
 
NHK World TV is a news and lifestyle channel produced fully in English and broadcast 24 hours a day from Tokyo. It brings the culture, art, music, anime, business, fashion, travel, cooking, science and other Asia-focused programming that travelers from this region prefer. And, it's broadcast in both high-definition and standard-definition formats.

Consider this data provided by the U.S. Travel Association:

• From 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.

"NHK World TV is not just in demand by Asia-Pacific travelers to the U.S.," Campbell said. "Today 154 million households spanning 130 countries and regions are able to view the channel. As dependency on in-room technology continues to grow, hotels must implement the solutions that are requested most by their guests in order to remain competitive. If you look at the number of consumers able to view NHK World TV by region -- and add in the 300,000 hotel rooms across the United States, Asia and Europe that already offer it to guests -- U.S. hoteliers cannot afford to ignore the trend. "
 
According to the 2012 Lodging Technology Study, in terms of television content, 43% of hotels already offer some form of HDTV, and 18% have plans to install or upgrade their HDTV content offering in the next 6 months. Hoteliers shopping HITEC for enhanced in-room entertainment and HDTV offerings to better meet the demands of all guests -- including international travelers -- should visit NHK World TV in June.

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 150 million households worldwide.