Japan, China, S. Korea Eye Total 30 M. Visitors to Each Other

Tokyo, April 12 (Jiji Press)--Tourism ministers of Japan, China and South Korea adopted in their first meeting in some four years on Sunday a joint statement calling for increasing the total number of visitors to each other country to 30 million in 2020. Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Akihiro Ota, Chinese National Tourism Administration Chairman Li Jinzao and South Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Kim Jong-deok adopted the joint statement in their meeting in Tokyo. The three countries' current target is 26 million for 2015. In 2014, the number exceeded 20 million. They aim to enhance exchanges by expanding flight routes and launching cruise ship operations. At the meeting, the tourism ministers agreed that the three countries will jointly lure tourists from such regions as Europe and the United States prior to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The statement calls for joint public-private efforts in the Visit East Asia Campaign, such as development of itineraries to visit tourist spots in the three countries. The ministers also agreed to set up a working-level forum for consultations on troubles caused by tourists due to lifestyle differences, so that they can team up to find solutions. The three countries will share information on specific troubles for fine-tuned responses. Ota said at a news conference after the meeting that this year marks the start of a new era for tourism exchanges among the three nations. The three sides were able to have fruitful discussions, he said. Kim said that exchanges among people of the three countries will play a big role in overcoming the severe political situation, recognizing that tourism cooperation will contribute to improving international relations. The three nations plan to hold the next meeting of their tourism ministers in Wuhan in China's Hubei Province in 2016. END