Japan Seeks To Double Foreign Tourist Spending

Above, Shibuya Crossing. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to double foreign visitors's spending and the government has decided on an action plan to make tourism an integral part of the Japanese economy.

According to Kyodo News:

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that the government aims to double foreign visitors' spending in Japan to 4 trillion yen a year and create 400,000 jobs as the country seeks to turn tourism into the major driver of the nation's economy. 

As part of an effort to boost regional economies, the government also decided on an action plan to increase the number of duty-free shops outside major cities to 20,000 by 2020, when the country hosts the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. 

The government will "attract tourists across the nation and enhance our ability to earn money through tourism," Abe said at a ministerial meeting on tourism.

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