(Update) Japan to Double Annual Foreign Visitors 40 M. by '20

   Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government said Wednesday it aims to double the annual number of foreign visitors to Japan from the current level to 40 million in 2020, when Tokyo hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
   The new target was included in a vision compiled by a public-private panel on tourism policy, chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
   Under the vision, the government also projects 8 trillion yen in spending for 2020 by foreigners on accommodation, food, beverages and other items during their stays in Japan.
   For 2030, the targets on the annual number of foreign visitors and spending by foreigners have been set at 60 million and 15 trillion yen, respectively.
   At a meeting of the panel, Abe expressed his eagerness to grow tourism into a key industry and turn Japan into a leading nation in tourism.

(2016/03/30-23:17)