Japan't Private and Public Sectors Should Do More To Attract Foreign Tourists

Above, Miyajima's torii gate.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) has an article on Japan's efforts to increase tourism to the country. The private and public sectors should do more to attract foreign visitors according to the article.

They wrote:

A record number of foreign tourists are visiting Japan. We hope both the public and private sectors take measures to better accommodate them and give the nation’s economy a boost. 

The number of foreign visitors increased by about 23 percent to about 4.96 million in the first half of this year, compared to the January-June period last year, a record high for a half-year period. 

In recent years, the number of foreign tourists has remained around 6 million to 8 million. The government aims to increase the number to 10 million as part of its growth strategy. If the pace of tourism in the first half of the year continues, the number likely will reach this target for the first time ever. 

The primary reason for the increase in the overall number of foreign tourists is the yen’s depreciation, which reduces the cost of travel.

I have been hammering on the issue of the previously poor exchange rates between the yen and the dollar. I said that once (at least Americans) visitors get better returns on their currency exchanges, the tourism numbers will climb. The current rates of exchange (hovering around ¥100/dollar) have proven this.

To read the full article, go here.