Spain has signed a new memorandum of understanding with Japan that will contribute to strengthening ties between the two countries and increasing bilateral tourism.
Through a statement issued yesterday, September 22, the Ministry of Tourism of Spain emphasized that this agreement will allow the governments of both countries to share experiences and develop actions of common interest, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Commenting on the move, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, said that Japan is a preferential market for Spain. In addition, Japanese tourists seek quality travel that has an impact on the entire value of the sector, which helps to deseasonalize and diversify the source of Japan’s markets.
“He is a traveller who greatly appreciates our culture, heritage, and gastronomy, thus contributing to a rapprochement and better understanding between our two societies. On the road to normality after the COVID initiated by Japan, Spain wants to be on the front line to once again welcome Japanese tourists 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 the cooperation in promotion and marketing strategies, as well as sustainable development, technology, and innovation.
At the same time, the agreement aims to identify smart tourist destinations, tourism development programs, air connectivity, and the promotion of public and private sector investments 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 director of Turespaña, Miguel Sanz, coincides with the celebration of Expo Japan, the largest tourism fair in the Far East and Japan, in which Turespaña participates with a 90a 90-meter pavilion squares structure emulates that of a cathedral and reproduces, with full-colour images, some of the main tourist attractions of our country,” the statement reads.
The Ministry has revealed that Japanese tourism represents a modest 0.8 per cent of the total quota of visitors that Spain received in 2019. Meanwhile, in 2021, it was the issuing country for Spain with the largest spending capacity, with an average spend of €3,000.
In addition, more than 680,000 Japanese women traveled to Spain in 2019, while the number of Spaniards who visited Japan reached 130,000.
A recent Turespaña survey conducted between 2021 and 2022 has also shown that Spain ranks as the second European country that leaves Japanese tourists most satisfied after their trip, with a percentage reaching 67 per cent of respondents.
