Japan aims to attract more tourists from Islamic countries

TOKYO 

The Japanese government is planning to attract more tourists from Islamic countries, it said in its white paper on tourism for 2013. The white paper identified Islamic countries as high potential areas for inbound tourism.

According to the white paper, around 8.37 million tourists visited Japan, the second highest on record. However, compared to other countries, Japan still remains weak in tourism (30th in the world ranking).

The white paper states that there is a need to strengthen tourism by branding Japan as a more attractive destination.

As target areas, the white paper predicts Islamic countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia will be a big market for future tourism in Japan. Thus, it aims to establish a Muslim-friendly environment by securing places for Muslim tourists to pray when they are in Japan, as well as providing for their dietary needs.

Last year, South Korea provided the most number of tourists with 2.04 million, despite disputes between the two countries. China was second with 1.43 million tourists.

Japan Today