Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has requested a budget of 24.1 billion JPY for FY2024 starting April 1 2024, which are 2.2 times more budget than FY2023. International tourism passenger tax is expected to increase by 2.13 times year on year to 42 billion JPY because the inbound travel market to Japan is expected to recover rapidly.
More budgets for labor shortage countermeasures or a interpreter guide system
For creation of sustainable tourism areas, a budget of 16.2 billion JPY, 4.42 times more than FY2023, have been requested, including a FY2022 supplementary budget of 12 billion JPY for the upgrade programs for accommodations or leisure facilities.
JTA has requested 217 million JPY for the sustainable tourism promotion model project, in which the agency aims to create model cases for tourism DX based on Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations (JSTS-D) and prevention or development of local nature resources, including demonstration programs for prevention of over-tourism.
For programs to solve the labor shortage issue particularly in the hospitality industry, a budget of 400 million JPY, 2.67 times more than FY2023, have been requested.
A budget of 79 million JPY, 1.19 times more than FY2023, for enrichment of the interpreter guide system has been requested to secure interpreter guides nationwide to meet a variety of needs from inbound travelers, including operation of a guide information search service.
Outbound travel and educational travel promotions are also budgeted
JTA has also requested 6.3 billion JPY, 1.05 times more than FY2023, for a strategic program to send inbound travelers to local areas, in which 70 million JPY for two-way tourism promotions, 3.5 times more than FY2023, is included.
Recognizing that two-way tourism of both inbound and outbound travels should be expanded, JTA is supporting enhancement of partnerships with tourism authorities in major outbound destinations and enrichment of outbound travel products to meet today’s needs.
In addition, JTA is promoting outbound educational travels to provide schools in Japan with local highly-valued educational programs in foreign countries or regions,, such as SDGs-related programs.
For the treated water-related rumor countermeasures in Fukushima
JTA has requested a budget of 435 million JPY, 1.16 times more than FY2023, for the blue tourism promotion programs, which include rumor countermeasures against the treated water release from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant. JTA is particularly trying to develop blue tourism in Fukushima to attract both domestic and international tourist.
