Japanese travel companies are now increasingly interested in the so-called “inbound business” that targets foreign tourists in Japan. With an aging population and declining birthrates companies are turning their attention to new markets, with many business people predicting large potential growth in markets catering to for foreigners.

The Japanese government began it’s “Visit Japan Campaign” in 2003 in collaboration with the private sector in order to actively increase the number of foreign tourists choosing to holiday in Japan and that campaign is now beginning to bear real fruit.

Portal Japan Inc., for example, currently runs the site “Yamatogoro.jp”, providing information related to the inbound travel business. In a seminar organized by the company organized last month, panelists from JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc. and Export Japan Inc. (Japan-Guide.com) reported that current trends among foreign tourists reveal that the reason significant numbers of visitors choose Japan is for sightseeing and shopping.

The government expects the number of foreign tourists in Japan to increase to 10 million by 2010, with more and more companies making efforts to identify and serve their needs and thus generate new business opportunities in this growing market.

Yamatogokoro.jp： www.yamatogokoro.jp

JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc.： www.jtbgmt.com

Export Japan Inc.：Japan-guide.com