On April 11, JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agents) held a regular press conference at its headquarters in Kasumigaseki to explain Tourism Expo Japan 2024. Speakers were Manabu Hayasaka, Director, Tourism EXPO Japan Promotion Office, and Mitsuro Machida, Manager.
Tourism Expo Japan is one of the world’s largest travel events, co-hosted by JATA, Japan Tourism Organization (JTA), and Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). Tourism bureaus, travel agencies, airlines, accommodation facilities, and related businesses from all over Japan and the world will gather at their booths to provide the latest information. This year, the event will once again be moved to Tokyo (International Exhibition Hall: Tokyo Big Sight) and will run for four days from September 26 to 29. The first two days will be industry days, and the second two days will be open to the public.
Since the Expo is held six months before the opening of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, the theme of the Tourism Expo is to link it to the excitement of the Expo, and the “Osaka-Kansai Future Zone,” a special booth set up in 2023, has evolved into the “2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo Area. Mr. Hayasaka expressed his ambition to make the booth “an exciting place to visit,” despite the negative media coverage it tends to receive.
The number of exhibitors is currently about 70% of the 1,500 target, of which about 35% are from overseas at present, but they hope to increase this to about 40% (about 80 countries).
The Japan Tourism Awards, which are given to domestic and overseas efforts that have contributed to the development and expansion of tourism, are usually held at the Expo site. The “Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award” will be newly established to incorporate the perspective of industrial tourism.
In addition to the existing exhibitors and tourist organizations, we will also approach embassies in Japan. Mr. Machida, who is in charge of the overseas area, said the target is “about one-third of the total number of applications (about 50). 50 is not an easy number, as it is double the previous result, but he explained the significance of this, saying, “We feel we must strengthen the outbound business.
The “Tour Grand Prix 2024,” which recognizes the best organized tours in the domestic, overseas, and inbound areas, is an award program now in its 30th year.
The selection criteria are for travel plans (both solicited and ordered) and inbound travel to Japan conducted between April 2023 and March 2024. The major difference between the previous and the current event is that the domestic and inbound travel divisions were divided into domestic and overseas travel divisions.
The application period is from April 15 to May 15, with the first round of judging by members consisting of travel agencies to be held in late May, and the final judging by experts to be held in mid-June, with the award ceremony to be held on July 10.
© Source travel watch
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