Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Law
Last Update : 2024/3/22
The socioeconomic environment surrounding Japan is a formidable one, shaped by such factors as a significant population decline, aging society and long-term national debt equivalent to 170% of the GDP.
It is therefore important that we make effective use of our assets, such as human, technological and tourism resources, to ensure a sustainable future. Therefore, building a tourism nation with its capacity to revitalize regional economies, create job opportunities and increase bilateral international understanding, is a key component of Japan in the 21st century, and will only grow in importance as a national strategy.
The Hatoyama government, which was in power from September 2009 to June 2010, positioned tourism as a major economic growth area. Under the leadership of Minister Seiji Maehara, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism launched the MLIT Growth Strategy Council in October 2009 to examine concrete measures for the tourism growth strategy. In addition, the Office of Tourism Nation Promotion was launched in December 2009, with Minister Maehara as its head, establishing a unified government structure for pursuing tourism nation-building.
With this series of developments in mind, we focus on East Asian markets including China. The emphasis is on actions to promote inbound travel to Japan, with full PDCA cycle to verify the effectiveness of such actions, and on providing support to region-driven efforts to develop tourism destinations. We will continue to create tourism measures that produce results, in keeping with the mission to achieve the growth strategy.
Overview of the Law
This section explains the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Law, which was introduced as a House members’ bill in December 2006 and came into effect in January 2007. This law clearly positioned tourism, for the first time ever, as one of the pillars of Japanese policy in the 21st century.
1.By revising the entirety of the old Tourism Basic Act on (1963) and renaming it the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Law, the Japanese government positions tourism as one of the pillars of Japanese policy in the 21st century.
2.Among other things, the law stipulates, as the fundamental principle behind measures related to achieving a tourism nation, that all policies be implemented with the understanding that the key to ensuring a good life for the people of Japan into the future is to respect region-led, innovation-oriented efforts while promoting the intake of domestic and international tourists through a sustainable evolution of vigorous regional communities capable of inspiring pride and love in its residents.
3.The law prescribes the government to establish the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan in order to promote the creation of a tourism nation in a comprehensive yet organized manner.
4.The law also stipulates that the government identifies the following as basic policies: to develop internationally competitive and highly appealing tourism destinations, to enhance the international competitiveness of the tourism industry and develop individuals who will contribute to the promotion of tourism, to promote international tourism and to roll out measures needed to create an environment conducive to travel.
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