Japan promotes destination at...

Visitors from the GCC to Japan are up 15% year-on-year

The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) together with Embassy of Japan hosted a booth at Kuwait's Tourista Expo 2024, held at Assima Mall from 21 to 22 June 2024.

The event marked the inaugural edition of the event and provided interactive opportunities for representatives from travel agencies, airlines and other tourism-related organisations to introduce their touristic products to visitors.

Japan was the only country exhibiting a booth, indicative of the growing interest in the country as a new overseas travel destination for Kuwaiti nationals.

During the two-day exhibition, the JNTO focused on promoting Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, which follows world fairs in Taiwan and Dubai, while the embassy provided consultations on visa applications to encourage visitors to Japan.

During the event, the Embassy of Japan in Kuwait hosted a networking opportunity to exchange opinions with Kuwaiti travel agencies handling outbound travel to Japan at a nearby Japanese restaurant. JNTO participated in the networking opportunity, meeting local travel professionals.

Executive Director of JNTO’s Dubai office, Kobayashi Daisuke said: “It was our utmost pleasure to meet many enthusiastic people who are interested in visiting Japan. The number of Kuwaiti nationals visiting Japan in 2023 increased by 44.0% compared to 2019 before the pandemic, reaffirming Japan's appeal as a sought-after destination among Kuwaitis.

“The resumption and increase of direct flights from the GCC region to Japan have played a pivotal role in facilitating this growth. Notable examples include the launch of Doha-Tokyo Haneda direct daily flights by Japan Airlines in March 2024.”

According to Daisuke, the number of visitors to Japan from GCC countries rapidly recovered in 2023, and it continued to grow at an even stronger rate in the first quarter of 2024, increasing by 15.1% compared to the same period last year.

For more information, visit www.japan.travel/en

FIND OUT MORE