Japan eyes tourists from India

INDIA (eTN) – Japan expects tourism travel from India to rise as the country has very high potential. From last year’s figures of 88,000 visitors, Japan hopes to get over 100,000 this year.

Hideki Manabe, Executive Director of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), said in Delhi on February 2 that as part of the promotion, more TV commercials will be aired and familiarization tours for agents will be organized to increase the awareness.

JNTO is also taking part in trade shows. He revealed that a guide on Indian and vegetarian food in Japan was being prepared and will be released this summer.

The Olympic Games in 2020 will also boost tourism to Japan, the ED said, adding that from 13 million tourists in 2014, Japan expects 20 million by 2020. At present, 80 percent of travel from India is for business, and 20 percent is for leisure. Efforts are also being made focusing on the business traveler to see the country while on a business trip, in order to increase the leisure travel segment.

At present, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the USA are big markets for Japan.

Japan organized a trade seminar in Delhi on February 2 and will aso do so in Mumbai, India, on February 3.

Toshihiro Yamakoshi, Counsellor for the Embassy of Japan in India, dispelled the view that Japan was expensive and said that the dietary needs of Indian travelers could be met in Japan and English-speaking guides are available.

In recent months, Japan has mounted a campaign to promote travel from India and vice versa. As many as 2200,000 Japanese came to India last year, many to see Buddhist attractions.

Visits by the Prime Ministers of the two countries to each other’s country in recent months has increased interest between the two nations.