Saloni Bhatia – New Delhi
Japan Tourism Agency will roll out an office in Delhi by the end of the fiscal year 2016, as announced by Kuniharu Ebina, senior vice commissioner, Japan Tourism Agency, at the first ever India – Japan Tourism Meet organised by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce (FICCI) at The Lalit Hotel, New Delhi.
Announcing the development, Ebina said, “The office will be a regional centre to promote the attractions of Japan, so that more Indians are interested in travelling to the country. We are here to plan and discuss current undertakings and measures to improve and expand tourism exchanges.” Addressing the gathering at the inauguration, Dr Mahesh Sharma, minister of state, ministry of tourism, stated, “The two countries have shared historical ties dating back to the sixth century and it is time we bring them together through tourism. The Buddhist Circuit in India should attract Japanese tourists once they are more aware about the destinations.”
Speaking about the tourism potential of the two countries, Jyotsna Suri, past president, FICCI, mentioned, “Japan is the 10th largest source market for India in terms of inbound tourist arrivals and there were about 2.07 lakh tourists from Japan who visited India in 2015. Both the countries hold immense potential and the conference will enable the delegates to understand the respective markets.”
Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India said that there is great opportunity for both governments and tourism industry to get together under one roof and to discuss the expansion of bilateral travel and tourism relations. “The new networks that will be built among the participants will create new opportunities,” he added.
Suman Billa, joint secretary, ministry of tourism, remarked, “Given India and Japan’s economic ties, the share of tourism between the two nations is miniscule and there is scope to improve the numbers. A marginal rise in the number of tourists visiting the Buddhist Circuit alone could enable Indian to earn US$ 6-8 billion every year.”
This was followed by a panel discussion chaired by the key stakeholders from both the countries who brought up issues like awareness among the tourists, ease in visa norms and mutually creating opportunities for growth of tourism. There were various B2B meetings held on the second day of the meet.