Vietnamese tourists in Japan rise 30 percent

Vietnamese tourists in Japan rise 30 percent

A Japanese food vendor points at the name of his fried sweet potatoes, written in Vietnamese. (Photo: Tuoitre)

Hanoi (VNA) – Over 200,000 Vietnamese visited Japan in the first 10 months of this year, up 30 percent year-on-year, Akihiko Tamura of the Japan Tourism Agency said at a recent meeting with 30 Vietnamese travel agencies.

The growth can be attributed to new and simpler visa procedures for tourists, while Japanese travel companies have begun to turn their sights on the Vietnamese market, he said.

Keiji Yoshida, CEO of Asia Investment & Travel Company, said many outbound tour operators in Vietnam are increasingly focused on promoting Japan.

More direct flights from Vietnam to Japan are making it more convenient for visitors, he added.

Representatives of the Vietnamese travel agencies sought new destination partners in Japan to organise more tours for Vietnamese travellers who visit Japan and vice versa.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) will establish its first representative office in Hanoi following a decision by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The announcement was made at a recent meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Tourism Cooperation Committee held by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Japan National Tourism Agency.

The JNTO office will provide more information on Japan for Vietnamese and support Vietnamese to handle tourism administrative procedures. The office is expected to boost cooperation between the two countries.

In 2010-2015, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Japan increased 4.4 times to 185,000 in 2015 from 42,000 in 2010.

The Vietnam Tourism Association set up its first tourism representative office in Tokyo in 2014.-VNA

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