A ministerial meeting on tourism promotion was held June 17 which decided the action plan to double the number of foreign tourists by 2020 when the Olympic Games will take place. Capacity expansion of two international airports in the capital region is included in the plan. The relevant misters also agreed to advance discussions on development of Integrated Resorts, or IR in light of inviting more international events and conferences.
The government sets a goal of achieving annual tourists of 20 million visiting from outside the country in 2020. Concerning agencies will discuss with private sectors including airlines on increasing operational frequency at Haneda and Narita airports. Building a new rail connecting the airports will also be under consideration.
In order to promote Meetings, Incentive tours, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) to be held in Japan, facilities in Kyoto will be developed to expand the capacity. The action plan also includes various approaches to attract foreign tourists such as building barrier-free environment, multi-language instructions and subsidy for quake-resisting works of hotels. (2014/06/18)