DUBAI, 4 May 2006 — Active in the Middle East over the last 33 years to promote Japanese investment and technical cooperation, the Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East (JCCME) is now switching its focus to concentrate on the promotion of Japan as a key tourist destination.
The first-ever Japanese pavilion at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) was busy with so many visitors. It gave a taste of the vibrant and traditional aspects of Japanese culture, society, arts and history.
“We’re aiming to change current regional perceptions of Japan solely as a business destination through our participation at ATM,” said Kenichi Sawaguchi, senior director, planning and project, JCCME
“Our ambition is to showcase the many varied aspects of Japan as a superior holiday destination for Middle Eastern travelers — from skiing on the pristine slopes of Nagano, speeding through the countryside on the ‘Shinkansen’ (bullet trains), to becoming immersed in ancient Japanese traditions in the old imperial cities of Kyoto and Osaka.”
JCCME has strategically partnered with the Japan National Tourist Organization and the Japan External Trade Organization to increase inbound tourism from the Middle East to Japan. Partnerships with the International Tourism Center of Japan, the Nippon Travel Agency, Nikko Hotels International and Conrad Tokyo have also been established to assist in achieving this goal.
Flight connections from the UAE to Japan are set to increase, as regional airlines expand their direct services that will further highlight the country as an attractive tourist destination for Middle Eastern travelers.
In June, Emirates, the international airline of the UAE, is planning to launch non-stop services to Nagoya, Japan’s fourth largest city located at the centre of the island of Honshu.