Following the success of the London 2012 Olympics, Japan and Britain’s national tourist boards have agreed to work together to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympics a spectacular event. The first project was a Japan-UK tourism symposium, ‘Growth Strategy for Tourism, Making the Best Use of the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ held on 2 October at the Embassy of Japan in London.
The symposium was attended by over 160 guests, including several staff of the Japan Local Government Centre. Keiichi Hayashi, Ambassador of Japan to the UK, and Sir Hugh Robertson MP, former Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Minister for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, made speeches at the symposium.
The partnership between Japan and Britain was formalised on 26 September, when Ryoichi Matsuyama, President of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and Christopher Rodrigues, Chairman of VisitBritain signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Tokyo, committing both countries to the mutual exchange of experience and information in the field of tourism.
In 2013, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan reached 10 million for the first time in history. In the same year, Tokyo won the bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 2014 marks the start of Japan’s campaign to reach the even higher goal of attracting 20 million foreign tourists. Hosting the Games will present Japan with a golden opportunity to achieve this.
In the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Japan is expecting a boom in hotel construction and various transport infrastructure developments are already on track to be completed before 2020. In conjunction with the Japan Tourism Symposium, JNTO and the Embassy of Japan held a Japan Photo Contest. Over 900 entries were received and the winners were announced at the symposium. To see the 20 winning entries click here. JNTO, as well as a number of Japanese local governments, will be exhibiting at World Travel Market in London from 3-6 November.
