Besides encouraging international tourist to adopt e-visas, Japan has also waived visas for visitors from Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Malaysia. Easier access to visas and the introduction of new low-cost carrier flights between Southeast Asian nations caused the number of inbound tourists to rise. Arrivals from Thailand, for example, increased by 26% between 2009 and 2013 and are expected to grow steadily up to 2018. Moreover, visitors from the Philippines and Vietnam are entitled to multiple entry visas since July 2013, which will further increase the number of tourist travelling to Japan.
New agreement to smooth path for Indian tourists
To boost inbound numbers even more, Japan and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi on January 22nd 2014. The memorandum is an agreement between the governments of India and Japan, which will help to strengthen cooperation between the two countries and relax visa restrictions for tourists from India.
Boost in Japanese tourism sector expected to continue
According to the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), the Japanese travel and tourism sector saw a moderate growth in inbound tourism. The number of international trips rose from 8.4 million in 2009 to 10.4 million in 2013, driven by the weakness of the yen. The four leading countries, which accounted for 65% of the inbound tourists, were South Korea, Taiwan, China and the US. Inbound tourist arrivals to Japan are expected to increase at an annual rate of 12.97%, to reach 19.1 million by 2018.
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