Tourism industry professionals in Japan have emphasized the need for Japan and China to once again recognize the significance of tourism and cultural exchanges in revitalizing bilateral relations.

During an event held in Tokyo on Monday, Japanese travel agencies said they plan to significantly promote travel to China this year. Since Nov 30, China has implemented a visa-free policy for ordinary Japanese passport holders, allowing stays of up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchange programs and transit purposes.

Haruo Toizawa, manager of the East Japan Overseas Travel Center at Tobu Top Tours, noted that since the introduction of the visa exemption policy, inquiries and quote requests for general group travel to China — particularly for leisure trips — have surged. The company aims to expand this segment significantly and work toward restoring traveler numbers to the 2019 levels.

Mitsuhiro Keimatsu, manager of overseas travel division at the travel agency HIS, reported that in the first three months of this year, the number of travelers booking package tours to China through HIS recovered to 20 percent of 2019 levels, representing a 15-fold increase from the previous year. He attributed this surge to the lifting of visa restrictions.

With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, Shanghai — home to a Disneyland park — remains the most popular destination in China for HIS customers. However, the company has been working to diversify its offerings since last year, introducing panda tours, which take visitors to West China. It is also focusing on seasonal destinations such as Zhangjiajie in Hunan province and Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan province.

Visa exemption

Taking a cue from China reinstating its visa exemption policy for short-term stays for Japanese passport holders, Tokyo introduced relaxed visa measures for Chinese tourists in December. These measures include extending the duration of stay for group tour visas and introducing a new multiple-entry tourist visa valid for 10 years.

Nobuaki Iida, director of the inbound tourism promotion division at the Japan Tourism Agency, expressed hope that these policies, along with initiatives by both Japan and China, will further expand travel between the two countries. That would help stimulate economic activity and deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Tourism plays a crucial role in promoting international understanding and strengthening ties between nations. Both the Chinese and Japanese governments fully recognize the significance of tourism exchanges, said Chen Zheng, minister-counselor at the Chinese embassy in Japan.

Following the second meeting of the China-Japan High-Level Consultation Mechanism on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges, held in Beijing on Dec 25, a 10-point consensus was released. It included commitments to supporting tourism cooperation, introducing more facilitation measures, and promoting mutual visits between travelers from both countries.

Beyond the visa exemption policy, China has implemented various measures to enhance travel convenience, such as improvements in mobile payments and ticket reservations, Chen said.

For the long-term growth of the tourism industries in both nations, expanding mutual exchanges is essential, said Ouyang An, director of the China National Tourism Office in Tokyo.

"We must once again recognize the importance of exchanges across various fields, starting with tourism and cultural interactions, in revitalizing relations between our two nations," he said.

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