TokyoTomo Travel Guide

In the government budget framework for the fiscal year 2010, Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) could get 12,652 million yen for its allocation, 2.02 times this year’s budget, according to JTA. The initial request as of November 2009 was 25,140 million yen, 4.02 times the current budget. The amounts of funds appropriated to the principal items are as follows: 9,477 million yen for the first phase program of the 30 million foreign visitor project (vs. 3,191 million yen for this year, 2.97 times), 643 million yen for tourism-based regional development and revitalization plan (vs. 625 million yen, 1.03 times), 28 million yen for preparations for implementing work-life balance (vs. 57 million yen, 0.49 time), and 330 million yen for extensive surveys for tourism statistics (vs. 116 million yen, 2.83 times).

In the first-phase program of the 30 million foreign visitor project, Visit Japan Campaign (VJC) has an appropriation of 8,648 million yen (3.1 times). The money mostly goes to promotional activities at major markets for better awareness and invigorated solicitation. The receptive environmental improvement undertaking gets 196 million yen – the highest growth of 4.94 times among all items – for establishing an assessment scheme of receptive infrastructure for foreign visitors and for the relevant human resources development. MICE promotion obtains 449 million yen (1.24 times) and the APEC tourism ministers’ conference is funded with 185 million yen as the host country.

In tourism-based regional development and revitalization plan, 602 million yen (1.03 times) is appropriated for development of internationally competitive tourist spots to be exploited in collaboration with the Ports and Harbors Bureau and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, gaining support from local governments, regional agricultural and fisheries cooperatives, and chambers of commerce. Further, 26 million yen (1.01 times) go to personnel training program for creation of tourist zones, and 15 million yen (0.92 time) for innovation of tourism industry. Regarding the project to stabilize work-life balance, 28 million yen (3.05 times) are set aside with a view to facilitating employees’ acquisition of leave of absence and leveling off holiday peaks by working with other ministries, local governments, and the business, labor, and educational circles. In a bid to step up the statistic level, 330 million yen (2.83 times) are devoted to the survey activities on travel trend and travel consumption.

Other administrative expenses are framed in the amount of 2,173 million yen (vs. 2,267 million yen for this year, 0.96 time), subsidy to JNTO is set at 1,905 million yen (vs. 1,999 million yen, 0.95 time), and JTA’s day-to-day operational expenses are budgeted at 268 million yen (same as this year).

Source: Travel Vision

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