{"id":2003,"date":"2008-11-19T10:08:25","date_gmt":"2008-11-19T01:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=2003"},"modified":"2008-11-19T16:51:48","modified_gmt":"2008-11-19T07:51:48","slug":"japan-times-on-gojs-new-efforts-to-boost-tourism-to-20-million-per-annum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=2003","title":{"rendered":"Japan Times on GOJ’s new efforts to boost tourism to 20 million per annum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Handbook<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"Foreign<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"JAPANESE<\/a><\/p>\n

Hi Blog. \u00a0I heard from Tyler Lynch that\u00a0Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Mr\u00a0Honpo gave a speech in Nagano recently, on how to more than double tourism to Japan to 20 million visitors per annum by 2020 (see article immediately following). \u00a0One question during the Q&A was the recent poll indicating that 27% of hotels polled don’t want NJ tourists, for whatever reason<\/a> (something not mentioned in the article below). \u00a0What was the GOJ going to do about these coy lodgings, refusing people in violation of Japanese hotel laws<\/a>? \u00a0Well, according to Tyler, nothing. \u00a0First the article, then Tyler’s report: \u00a0<\/p>\n

===============================<\/p>\n

In tough economic times, tourism boss finds visitor boost a tall order<\/h1>\n

The Japan Times, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
By\u00a0<\/strong>TAKAHIRO FUKADA\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>Staff writer<\/strong><\/div>\n
http:\/\/search.japantimes.co.jp\/member\/member.html?mode=getarticle&file=nn20081111f2.html<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n
Courtesy of Tyler Lynch<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Japan’s ailing regional economies can be revitalized by tapping the sightseeing potential of growing Asian countries, according to Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Yoshiaki Hompo.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"News<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tall order: Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Yoshiaki Hompo is interviewed recently in Tokyo.\u00a0YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

China will be a vital market, and Hompo’s agency is now in talks with other government bodies to gradually ease rules for issuing visas to Chinese tourists, he said during a recent interview in Tokyo.<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Hompo also said the Japanese are not exclusionist and boasted the country has a unique natural and cultural diversity.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The agency was launched last month as part of efforts to draw 20 million foreign tourists by 2020, far beyond the 8.4 million who visited last year.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Because the nation’s population is declining, Japan as a whole is increasingly aware that it must vitalize its regions by expanding exchanges, and some municipalities are desperate,” the new agency chief said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hompo hopes that despite the yen’s recent appreciation, Chinese, South Koreans, Taiwanese and Singaporeans will boost travel to Japan in the future.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Those parts of Asia with high growth potential must be included in Japan’s economic growth strategy, he said. Sightseeing can be a crucial and effective way to serve these goals, he stressed.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hompo said he is proud of Japan’s unique tourism resources.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Japan has been taking in both Western and Oriental cultures in its own way, so we now have an extremely diverse culture,” Hompo boasted.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We have diversity that even Europe and Asia do not possess. It is a distinguishable feature of Japanese tourism resources,” Hompo said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

To draw 20 million tourists, the agency said Japan will need to attract around 6 million from China, which is far more than the 900,000 who visited last year.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We will not be able to achieve that if we do not ease visa” restrictions for travelers from China, Hompo said, adding, however, the government will ease them gradually.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Experts are recommending streamlining the visa process or offering exemptions in certain cases to attract more visitors.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

While boasting attractive tourism resources, and ambitious goals, the surging yen and recent world economic turmoil have cast a dark shadow on the market, Hompo conceded.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In September, the number of foreign tourists to Japan fell almost 7 percent from a year earlier to 611,500. South Korean travelers plunged more than 20 percent to 159,500.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We have to be ready for this situation possibly continuing,” Hompo said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

But he remains optimistic as he said many foreign tourists have been choosing Japan in recent years.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hompo said the agency will accelerate coordination with other ministries on easing visa restrictions for Chinese tourists.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Easing visa (restrictions) has apparently quick effects” in bringing in more foreign tourists, he said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

While some may argue that many Japanese are xenophobic, Hompo said Japan will welcome foreign tourists with hearty hospitality.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I do not necessarily think (Japanese) are exclusive in general,” Hompo said. “I wonder if anywhere else has people with this abundant hospitable mentality.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The agency is in charge of implementing measures to turn Japan into a more tourism-oriented nation. It promotes the Visit Japan campaign, which publicizes appeals overseas for people to visit Japan and take in its natural scenery, modern metropolises and traditional enclaves.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

ENDS<\/p>\n

============================<\/p>\n

COMMENT<\/strong>: \u00a0Here’s how Tyler reported (from a comment on Debito.org<\/a>) about a speech Mr Honpo gave:<\/p>\n

Tyler (\u5e73) Lynch<\/strong><\/a><\/cite>\u00a0Says:\u00a0
\n<\/strong> October 30th, 2008 at 4:57 pm<\/strong><\/a><\/small><\/p>\n

Debito-san,
\nYesterday I attended a tourism symposium in Matsumoto (Nagano Pref.) Yoshiaki Hompo, the \u9577\u5b98 of the newly created Japan Tourism Agency, was the guest speaker, and he commented on this issue of 27% of ryokans not wanted foreign guests.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hompo-san presented some impressive stats on Japan\u2019s tourism and (declining) population trends. One important figure was how much tourist expenditure it would take to cover the economic loss of one resident: 24 Japanese tourists (76 if just day trippers) or just 5 tourists from overseas. The point is Japan\u2019s economy needs \u201cInbound\u201d tourists to keep the economy stable during its population loss. In 2003, ex-PM Koizumi declared the goal of 10 million foreign tourists per year by 2010. Seemed pretty ambitious with there only being 5,100,000 at the time, but \u201808 is on target for 9,150,000. (That target is now in danger due to the recent climb of the Japenese Yen.) As Koizumi\u2019s goal will likely be achieved earlier than expected, the JTA is now considering a new goal of 20 million by 2010. That would mean 1 in every 6 \u5bbf\u6cca\u8005\u3000(lodgers) would be a foreigner (compared with 1 in 14 in 2007).<\/em><\/p>\n

Hompo-san then said he is often asked: \u201cWith that type of stat, are you just going to ignore the 27% of the ryokans that don\u2019t want to accept foreigners?\u201d You know what his reply was? \u00a0\u201cYes, we are going to ignore them.\u201d The reasoning was that the 1 in 6 won\u2019t be spread evenly across all inns and hotels. The percentages will obviously be higher in Tokyo than the countryside. The inns in the 27% group tend to be in the countryside and tend to not want foreigner guests because they are not confident they can provide satisfactory service to them (c.f. Iegumo-san\u2019s in-laws). Hompo-san indicated he would prefer to let such inns persist in their ignorance rather than forcing Inbounders on them, which would only create unpleasant experiences for both parties. As Japan\u2019s population (and therefore their customer base) shrinks, then maybe the inns will wake up to the reality of needing to direct their omotenashi towards foreigners. Or maybe they\u2019ll just keep on sleeping\u2026 (My editorializing, not his, but Hompo-san did say he would \u307b\u3063\u3068\u304f the 27% in the hopes of avoiding them providing \u5fe0\u592a\u534a\u7aef service to foreign guests.)<\/em><\/p>\n

=========================<\/p>\n

DEBITO COMMENTS<\/strong>: \u00a0So there you have it. \u00a0The economic incentives are clear: \u00a05 NJ tourists equals 24 J tourists (or 76 J day trippers) — meaning NJ tourists spend five to fifteen times more money than Japanese tourists. \u00a0But Mr Honpo doesn’t seem to think that enforcing the Ryokan Gyouhou matters<\/a> — the invisible hand of economic pressure will take care of everything, including discrimination against foreigners.<\/p>\n

Maybe. \u00a0But it’s still odd for a member of the administrative branch to argue that laws need not be enforced — that exclusionary hotels can just be ignored. \u00a0As if “JAPANESE ONLY” rules at hotels will not encourage copycats in other business sectors to put up similar signs and rules. \u00a0Moreover, economic incentives have not resolved other cases of exclusion, even when there are similar buyers’ markets in the apartment rental economy, where refusals of NJ are still commonplace<\/a>. \u00a0Harrumph.<\/p>\n

Arudou Debito in Sapporo, another major tourist destination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Japan Times runs an interview with Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Yoshiaki Honpo, who says that Japan’s ailing regional economies can be revitalized by tapping the sightseeing potential of growing Asian countries. He recommends easing visa restrictions, since NJ tourists spend 5 to 15 times more than Japanese tourists. <\/p>\n

However, how about easing restrictions at the hotels themselves? According to an attendee of one of his speeches in Nagano, he will “leave alone” those 27% of hotels surveyed who do not want NJ tourists. Odd that a member of the administrative branch would recommend the nonenforcement of laws governing hotels in Japan. Honpo seems to think economic pressure will resolve all. Even though it hasn’t in other similar situations, such as apartment rentals, and leaving exclusionary (and, in this case, illegal) rules in place have caused spillover into other business sectors, copycatting because they can. Humph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,34,4,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bad-business-practices","category-exclusionism","category-japanese-government","category-problematic-foreign-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}