The number of Vietnamese travelers to Japan has soared strongly, with an estimated 300,000 arrivals in all of 2017, up a staggering 30% year-on-year, the Japanese consul general in HCMC said yesterday.

Vietnamese and Japanese tour operators pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of a representative office of Japan’s Hankyu Travel International Co Ltd on Wednesday 

This robust growth rate builds on the momentum recorded in recent years, as last year also witnessed around 234,000 Vietnamese visiting the Northeast Asian nation, up a strong 26% against 2015, Kawaue Junichi said at the opening of a representative office of Japan’s Hankyu Travel International Co Ltd yesterday.

The Japanese government has placed Vietnam among 20 key source markets for tourism since 2015, and has relaxed its visa policy for Vietnamese tourists to Japan.

The Japanese government is trying to prop up its tourism sector, said Consul General Kawaue Junichi.

He noted 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. Therefore, the two governments will hold the largest-ever Vietnamese-Japanese festival on January 27 and 28. Besides, many other events will take place throughout the year to promote cultural exchanges and bolster the growth of the tourism sector.

Dozens of tour operators took part in the opening ceremony yesterday. Notably, many companies asked questions on services and support in obtaining visas for their customers.

Tetsuo Nakayama, managing director of Hankyu Travel International, said Vietnam has emerged as a key visitor-generating market for Japan. Especially, tourists’ needs are diverse, from normal tours to incentive programs.

In addition to the opening of the new office, Nakayama said, the company has teamed up with local travel company Discover the World Vietnam to offer services for other tour operators.

He said the two companies provide package tour services at competitive prices. They have worked with the Japanese Consulate General in a bid to make it easier for tour operators to get visas for their customers.

Early this year, the Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan National Tourism Organization struck a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to promote tourism cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides expect Japanese arrivals in Vietnam to hit one million by 2018, and the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan to reach half a million by then.

SGT