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Tuesday, 10th November 2015
In Japan Travel News,
Japan plans more flights to regional airports
Plans have been outlined by Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe for the government to roll out an increased number of flights to regional airports across the country.
As well as more services to smaller hubs, Japan also intends to speed up the procedures for getting through immigration, giving visitors the best welcome it can.
It all comes as Japan aims to improve its infrastructure amid the aim of attracting 30 million people a year by 2030.
Abe was speaking at the first meeting of ministers and representatives from the tourism industry aimed at putting tourism at the forefront of Japan’s priorities.
He said that the plan to attract 20 million visitors was just a passing point and that the 30 million by ten years later was the real aim.
The prime minister added that another target should be to bring more tourists to lesser-visited places, as Tokyo and Kyoto currently get a lot of attention, while other areas are not fulfilling their potential.
Abe said: “Our country has abundant environmental resources and has the potential to become a tourism-oriented country, but it has many problems like difficulties in reserving hotels and using trains and buses.
“We must welcome fresh visitors by improving such problems and increase repeat visitors.”
Specific measures to make these aims a reality are expected to be finalised by the end of the fiscal year in March.
It is thought a more flexible approach is needed and areas such as providing more translators are expected to be part of the plans.