Japan aims to become the number one business events destination in Asia, and among the top five business events destinations in the world by 2030, according to a new national government strategy.
Overall, the action plan aims to expand the country’s inbound travel audience by attracting visitors interested in business, academia, culture, arts, sports or nature as a means of international exchange.
Part of this strategy also includes attracting more international conferences to Japan. In the academic fields of science technology, nature and medical and social sciences alone, the target is 180,000 overseas-based participants in international conferences in Japan annually by 2025.
The Japanese government is also working towards boost the country’s position as a financial centre, to garner total spending of ¥860 billion (US$6 billion) by business visitors annually by 2025.
Steps will also be initiated to develop more events and activities related to sports, nature and culture, including night-time content, to support the hosting of large international business events that require excursions or incentives for participants. These offerings will be promoted widely to key business events markets.
“Domestic stakeholders should work together to promote high-value-added travel, adventure travel and MICE by strengthening sales promotion and information dissemination to overseas travel agencies,” said the Japan National Tourism Organization in a press release.
In the capital, Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) teamed up earlier this month (August) to provide subsidies “for the development and dissemination of new tourism content”, TCVB said in a statement. New or renewed projects that link Japanese culture, such as traditional performing arts, or historical resources, such as shrines, with nature can be awarded up to ¥13 million.
The TCVB also launched an online global development course in July 2023 to support “the next generation” of MICE human resources in Japan.
