Visa-free travel to Japan could boost tourism

Manila / Philippines – Visa-free travel could do wonders for Japan’s tourism, the Philippine envoy to the Land of the Rising Sun said Wednesday.

Manolo Lopez, Philippine ambassador to Japan, said in a television interview that once Japan lifts the visa requirements of Filipinos, Indonesians, and Vietnamese, the tourism industry of Japan could spike up, especially in the advent of the 2020 Summer Olympics.

According to Lopez, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe admitted that the Japanese economy began to spike up in 2012 and the lifting of the visa requirement could bolster it even more.

“I would say that it would sustain the economy by inviting more tourists to Japan with people from the Southeast Asian region coming to this country,” said Manolo who added the three countries that may have the same privilege are Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Lopez said that Japan has a target of 20 million tourists that would visit Japan by 2020 and so far have experienced a 10 million visitor turnout.