Japan plans to double revenue from foreign tourists
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that the government has plans to double revenue from foreign tourism to 4 trillion yen (1.08 trillion baht) a year and create 400,000 jobs as the country seeks to turn tourism into the major driver of the nation's economy.
As part of an effort to boost regional economies, the government also decided to increase the number of duty-free shops outside major cities to 20,000 by 2020, when the country hosts the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
The government will "attract tourists across the nation and enhance our ability to earn money through tourism", Abe said at a ministerial meeting on tourism.