More Filipinos travel to Japan

CEBU, Philippines — Japanese tourism stakeholders are tightening its linkage with local tour operators with the surprising surge of Filipinos going to Japan as the new favorite foreign destination.

The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) led by tourism promotion department manager Maiko Iwaki together with tourism private sector stakeholders in Tokyo was in Cebu recently to refresh Cebuano tour operators of the new attraction of Japan’s capital city and neighboring prefecture.

Known as the City of Unique culture, Tokyo attracted over 500 thousand Filipinos last year. This figure is five times higher than five years ago, reported Iwaki.

Filipino tourists to Japan, which include Cebuanos, is growing at a rate of 20 percent annually.

Because of this, Iwaki said the Philippines has become of one of strongest tourism markets for Japan, particularly Tokyo.

In fact, its tourism department through the TCVB has created a “Tokyo Guide Book” collateral for the Philippine market.

Aside from the expanding middle-class and the capacity of Filipinos to travel abroad, the ease of VISA requirements and quick approval for Japan VISA, encouraged more Pinoys to visit Japan.