Buzz
Japanese authorities plan to attract more tourists from Southeast Asian countries by improving visa regulations, according to NHK on May 21st.
A task force composed of officials from relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, drafted a temporary report on May 20th.
They propose measures such as relaxing visa requirements for citizens of Southeast Asian countries traveling to Japan by the end of this year.
This move comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration identifies the need for Japan to attract more tourists from rapidly developing economies to achieve the goal of increasing the annual tourist arrivals to 25 million by 2020.
The Japanese government plans to consider visa exemptions for tourists from Thailand and Malaysia, as well as multiple-entry visas for tourists from the Philippines and Vietnam, as reported by The Japan Times last month.
NHK reports that the task force has proposed a new regulation allowing long-term residency for wealthy foreign tourists. Applicants will need to meet conditions related to income and assets.
Members also suggest providing information in various languages at museums and other tourist spots.
Japanese ministers plan to incorporate these proposals into the upcoming economic growth strategy.
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Source: Mytour Travel Handbook - By: Thanh niên.
MytourJune 27, 2013
