Japan: 40 mil. visitors eyed by 2020

The government said Wednesday it aims to double the annual number of foreign visitors to Japan to 40 million in 2020 from the current 20 million.

The new target was included in a vision compiled by a panel on tourism policy, chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Under the vision, the government also projects ¥8 trillion in spending for 2020 by foreigners on accommodations, foods, beverages and other items, during their stays in Japan.

For 2030, the targets on the annual number of foreign visitors and spending by foreigners have been set at 60 million and ¥15 trillion, respectively.

The panel also set new numerical targets to encourage foreigners to visit areas other than big cities. Japan now aims to nearly triple the annual number of foreigners’ overnight stays in regional areas to 70 million in 2020 from the 2015 level and to 130 million in 2030.

One of the pillars of the government vision to attract more foreign tourists is the relaxation of conditions for issuing visas to tourists from China, India, the Philippines, Russia and Vietnam.

Japan had 5.61 million visitors from those five countries last year — 28.4 percent of the 19.74 million total. The new plan points out that the market comprising those five countries has high potential. It also says the government will strategically ease the conditions for issuing visas to people from those countries while improving the domestic environment for accepting foreign tourists.

It also said the government will encourage free Wi-Fi services at more locations and allow online reservations for major public transportation systems to be made from overseas.

The plan also aims to boost the appeal of sightseeing spots, including important buildings and national parks.

Amid rising demand for licensed guide-interpreters, the current system will be reviewed to ease regulations so they can more flexibly respond to tourists’ requests.

To attract more visitors, Japan needs to increase the appeal of its sightseeing spots so that foreigners will want to make frequent trips. The plan features a policy for opening more facilities to the public, including precious buildings such as the State Guest House in the Moto-Akasaka area of Tokyo, while offering a variety of hands-on tours that make use of the nature at national parks and hot springs.