Spain has signed a new memorandum of understanding with Japan that will help strengthen ties between the two countries and increase bilateral tourism.
In a press release published yesterday, September 22, the Spanish Ministry of Tourism stressed that this agreement will allow the governments of the two countries to share their experiences and develop actions of common interest, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.
Commenting on the decision, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, said that Japan was a preferential market for Spain. Additionally, Japanese tourists seek quality travel that impacts the overall value of the industry, helping to deseasonalize and diversify the origin of Japanese markets.
“He is a traveler who greatly appreciates our culture, our heritage and our gastronomy, thus contributing to a rapprochement and a better understanding between our two societies. On the way to normalcy after Japan-initiated COVID, Spain wants to be on the front line to welcome Japanese tourists again with open arms,” he pointed out in this regard.
According to the ministry, the agreement was signed in the Japanese capital, Valdés, with the commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA), Koichi Wada.
In addition, the new agreement identifies as priority areas of mutual interest cooperation in promotion and marketing strategies, as well as sustainable development, technology and innovation.
At the same time, the agreement aims to identify smart tourism destinations, tourism development programs, air connectivity and promotion of public and private sector investment in tourism.
“During the meeting, Valdés invited Commissioner Wada to the next edition of FITUR, in January 2023. The visit of the Secretary of State for Tourism to Tokyo, accompanied by the general manager of Turespaña, Miguel Sanz, coincides with the celebration of Expo Japan. , the largest tourist fair in the Far East and Japan, in which Turespaña participates with a structure of pavilions of 90a by 90 meters imitating that of a cathedral and reproducing, with color images, some of the main tourist attractions of our country “, read the statement.
The ministry revealed that Japanese tourism represents a modest 0.8% of the total quota of visitors that Spain received in 2019. Meanwhile, in 2021, it was Spain’s source country with the largest spending capacity, with an average spending of €3,000. .
Additionally, more than 680,000 Japanese women visited Spain in 2019, while the number of Spaniards who visited Japan reached 130,000.
A recent Turespaña survey conducted between 2021 and 2022 also showed that Spain ranks as the second European country that leaves Japanese tourists most satisfied after their trip, with the percentage reaching 67% of respondents.
