Previous Story
‘4 in 5 Japanese tourists want cell phones abroad’
|
Posted on Jul 26 2005
The Northern Marianas may have to place more emphasis on upgrading its telecommunication system, with a recent survey highlighting the importance of mobile phones for Japanese tourists.
Results of a survey conducted by NTT DoCoMo, one of Japan’s leading mobile phone service providers, showed that four in five Japanese think a usable mobile phone abroad will be necessary when they go overseas.
The survey results were released by JTB Corp., a top travel management company in Japan.
According to JTB’s summary, 83.4 percent of the survey respondents said a mobile phone usable abroad for conversations and mail would be necessary, apparently because they saw such a phone as “essential to allay their concerns.”
JTB added that those in their 50s felt the necessity particularly strongly, with 88.7 percent of men and 90.3 percent of women seeing a mobile phone as essential.
The survey results also revealed that 72 percent of Japanese tourists going overseas want to take and use a mobile phone. “It looks as if a mobile phone is becoming a ‘must have’ item traveling abroad,” JTB said.
More than half, 56.8 percent, of the respondents said they need mobile phones abroad to keep in touch with friends in Japan. Among those in their 50s, over 80 percent made this response.
Furthermore, the survey results showed that the mobile phone service that people most want to use abroad is e-mail service, with 80.3 percent of those asked picking this response.
“Young women in their teens showed that a 30-percent difference between their mobile phone usage for conversation and for mail, and they tend to send exchanges of mail as more important overseas,” JTB said.
