Tokyo looking to strengthen ties with India through promotion of tourism

Representatives of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government organised 'Tokyo Wonderland', a media seminar conducted to promote Tokyo tourism in India.

A survey conducted last year showed that the number of tourists visiting Tokyo has increased significantly over the last decade. This is one of the key reasons for the Tokyo government to consider promoting tourism in India.

"India and Japan have always shared a healthy bond. With an increasing number of outbound travelers, we believe that it will be beneficial for us to promote tourism in India," said Ken Katayama, Deputy DG, Bureau of Industrial and Labour Affairs, Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The promotional activities are underway in several cities in India, with the intention of increasing the number of tourists prior to the Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled to take place in Tokyo in 2020. Several measures are being taken to implement facilities that will make transport and communication simpler for tourists. The Tokyo government is also working on providing business opportunities to Indian companies looking to expand their operations in Tokyo.

"We understand that language is a problem. To solve this, we are looking to set up more multi-lingual information centers across Tokyo. Additionally, we are also getting WiFi enabled in all important locations so that tourists can access important information at any time," said Masahiko Sakamoto, Senior Director Tourism Division, Bureau of Industrial and Labour Affairs, Tokyo Metropolitan Government.