# Chapter 2: Realizing a Tourism-based Country of Beauty

## (1) Tourism trends

## ○Significance of establishing a tourism-based country

Tourism not only contributes to the revitalization of regional economy, the increase in employment opportunities and the development of all other areas of the nation’s economy, it also has significance in promoting mutual understanding with other nations. As Japan will have an aging society of an unprecedented level combined with a falling birthrate, and as the development of full-scale international exchange is expected in Japan in the future, tourism takes on an important role, in promoting mutual understanding with other nations, and also in creating the demand, through an increase in the number of people participating in exchange, to activate the nation’s economy.

## ○International tourism today

Thanks to the efforts of the Visit Japan Campaign, the estimated number of foreign tourists who visited Japan in 2007 surpassed 8 million for the first time in history and amounted to about 8.35 million. The estimated number of Japanese tourists who visited locations abroad in the same year is 17.30 million; thereby the international tourist traffic is expected to hit an all-time high of about 25.65 million.

○Enactment of the Basic Act on the Promotion of a Tourism-based Country and the Formulation of a Master Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism-based Country

Pursuant to the “Basic Act on the Promotion of a Tourism-based Country” enacted in December 2006, the Master Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism-based Country, the basic scheme to realize a country based on tourism, was approved by the Cabinet in June 2007. Formulated in the Master Plan were five fundamental goals to be achieved and concrete measures to realize them.

## O Foundation of the National Tourism Agency

The decision was made to found the National Tourism Agency for the purposes of specifying an organization responsible for tourism administration and establishing a framework to enable systematic and effective execution of operations, and a bill to that effect was presented at the 169th session of the Diet.

[Five Fundamental Goals set in the Master Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism-based Country]

1. To increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan to 10 million per annum before the end of 2010 and to maintain the number of Japanese tourists going abroad at a similar level, at least, in the future.

2. To increase the number of international conferences held in Japan by more than 50% before the end of 2011, making Japan the largest site in Asia for international conferences.

3. To increase the average number of stays of the Japanese tourist during his/her domestic trips by one night before the end of 2010, making the total to four nights per tourist per annum.

4. To increase the number of Japanese tourists going abroad to 20 million per annum before the end of 2010 and enhance international exchanges with other nations.

5. To increase total domestic tourism consumption in Japan to ¥3 billion per annum before the end of 2010, through the additional tour demand newly created by environments that promote tours and diversified services provided through an improvement in productivity of the tourism industry.