TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Hiroshi Mizohata, commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency (JTA), told at the regular press conference on October 27 that he would reshuffle the tasks of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) before framing its budgetary request for the fiscal 2011. In the new plan, JTA will no longer entrust to JNTO the Visit Japan Campaign (VJC) project whose objective is to promote solicitation of foreign tourists to Japan, and also let it stop running the Tourist Information Centers as JTA will relegate the business to the private sector. Meanwhile, JTA is going to merge the JNTO’s office with that of The Japan Foundation in Beijing and Bangkok respectively for one-stop service.

In more detail, the task of tourism promotion in the framework of the Visit Japan Campaign will no longer assigned to JNTO but to a private company, Likewise, the operation of Tourist Information Centers will be privatized by tender; however, the location of those Centers will basically be maintained. With regard to the office unification of JNTO and The Japan Foundation for one-stop service, both parties are supposed to be located in the same establishment so that they can be placed in proximity to each other for close contact and synergistic effects.

The reshuffle of JNTO’s undertakings reflects the ruling of budget screening conducted in April this year by the Government Revitalization Unit. It was pointed out during the screening process that division of roles among JTA, JNTO, and the private sector is obscure. The direction given by the Revitalization Unit was that JTA should take back JNTO’s tasks – such as overseas tourism promotion, invitational programs, and assistance for Japan-bound tour making – and reorganize them. JTA was strongly advised to relegate to private companies what can be done by the private sector. Moreover, it had been decided earlier for JNTO to cease operating the Tourist Information Centers which was part of the inbound travel facilities improvement program.

Commissioner Mizohata says the elimination of some tasks from JNTO does not necessarily mean downsizing of its activities but redefinition of the roles it should focus in line with the advice given by the Revitalization Unit. While relieving such assignments as tourism promotion and Information Center management from its scope of duties, JNTO is expected to concentrate on overseas publicity, tourism planning, and study of market trend. Therefore, JNTO’s budget and staff size are said to maintain the status quo.

Source: Travel Vision

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