Two years before the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics, hotels in Tokyo are now almost fully booked. As a lot of sports enthusiasts are dreaming of witnessing the game festival, a flock of tourists is expected to visit the capital of Japan.
According to the South China Morning Post, 508 rooms of Hotel Okura Tokyo are already fully booked as of August. Most of its space is occupied by International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The officers also booked almost half of Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba's guest rooms.
As most of the hotels in Tokyo are now fully booked, tourists are advised to start planning their trip to see the 2020 Summer Olympics as early as possible. With Japan's recent ruling on Airbnb listings, travelers are opting to secure hotel accommodations. Good deals may soon be gone while hotel options may become limited because of the high demand.
Japan foresees about 40 million tourists will come to Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics. With a flock of people expected to come to the country, it is now preparing to accommodate all of them. "There is a need to increase everything - more hotels, wider trains, more seats - and have more space for people to move around," Savvy Tokyo lifestyle and travel editor Alexandra Homma said.
Sankei Shimbun foreign press coordinator and journalist Sankei Shimbun, on the other hand, said tourists' early booking depends on the sports they want to see. Some people should book one year ahead before the 2020 Summer Olympics occurs in July to August. There are limited hotels in Tokyo suburbs, where games are located.
Tokyo Cheapo co-founder Greg Lane added tourists might have a hard time to find discounted hotel deals. The cheapest room they could see maybe US$300 a night. Kawara continued to say travelers should also consider their hotel's distance from the New National Stadium, where 2020 Summer Olympics takes place.
Meanwhile, Olympics Organization revealed the event's officials are now starting to plan for the game festival. "Tokyo 2020's Olympic Games plan is starting to take shape," IOC Coordination Commission Chair for Tokyo 2020 John Coates said. "We are now at a point where we are working with the Organising Committee on planning on an item-by-item basis. This Project Review was an opportunity to give guidance on any subjects that needed clarification."
The iconic Olympic Torch Relay will begin on March 12, 2020. Tokyo 2020 sees this festival not just a signal of the 2020 Summer Olympics' start but also an important event after the tragic earthquake and tsunami that engulfed Tohoku, Japan, in 2011.
