Authorities of the two countries so far expect Japanese arrivals to Vietnam this year to hit one million, and the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan to reach half a million.
The number of Vietnamese travelers arriving to Japan last year surged by 30% year-on-year to hit a record high 300,000
|
The year of 2016 also witnessed around 234,000 Vietnamese holidaymakers visiting the Northeast Asian nation, up a strong 26% against 2015.
The Japanese government has placed Vietnam among the 20 key source markets for tourism since 2015, and has relaxed its visa policy for Vietnamese tourists to Japan.
According to Kawaue Junichi, Japanese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, the Japanese government is trying to prop up its tourism sector.
He noted 2018 marks the 45thanniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. Therefore, the two governments held the largest-ever Vietnamese-Japanese festival on January 27 and 28. Besides, many other events will take place throughout the year to promote cultural exchange and bolster the growth of the tourism sector.
Tetsuo Nakayama, managing director of Japan’s Hankyu Travel International Co., Ltd. which opened a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, said Vietnam has emerged as a key source of visitors to Japan. Vietnamese tourists’ needs are diverse, ranging from normal tours to incentive programs.
In addition to the opening of the new office, Nakayama said the company has teamed up with local travel company Discover the World Vietnam to offer services for other tour operators.
He said the two companies provide packaged tour services at competitive prices. They have worked with the Japanese Consulate General in a bid to make it easier for tour operators to get visas for their customers.
Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that Japan is among the top source markets for the Vietnamese tourism sector, with more than 740,000 Japanese visiting the country last year, surging 10.3% year-on-year. Ho Chi Minh City alone received nearly 400,000 Japanese arrivals, up 5.8% against the previous year.
Early this year, Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) and Japan National Tourism Organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) to promote tourism between the two countries.
Under the MoU, both sides are expected to step up tourism promotion to boost tourist arrivals in the two countries. The two sides set the target of boosting Japanese arrivals to Vietnam to hit one million in 2018 and the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan to reach half a million.
