Japan will address the rebuilding of its tourism reputation in its next five-year plan and aims to achieve 18 million arrivals by 2016 according to the tourism authorities.

The number of foreign visitors to the country, which hit a record high of 8.61 million in 2010, is estimated to have dropped to 6.22 million last year following the 11 March earthquake, tsunami and the ensuing nuclear crisis.

The new tourism promotion plan again sets a target of JPY30 trillion in spending by travellers to the country and 18 million Japanese travellers abroad.

Of the JPY30 trillion, the plan calls for JPY18 trillion spent by Japanese domestic travellers on overnight stays, JPY6.5 trillion spent by Japanese making day trips, and JPY3 trillion in spending by foreign tourists.

To boost the number of Japanese travellers abroad, the government will also conduct campaigns that focus especially on encouraging young Japanese to take trips abroad.

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