THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is expecting more Japanese tourists to visit the Philippines this year.

In a statement, the department said Japanese arrivals are seen to increase to 400,000 even as the Japanese outbound market is decreasing due to economic shocks and high fuel and airplane fares.

In 2007 there were 395,012 Japanese tourists in the country. The number was 6.4 percent lower than the 2006 figures.

According to the DOT, the Japanese outbound market shrunk to 17.29 million from a high of 17.5 million in 2006.

Director Benito Bengson, head of the DOT team in Japan, said the department’s strategy of attracting niche markets such as Japanese women and Japanese couples looking for possible wedding sites, would help boost traffic to the Philippines.

“We are always on the lookout for new measures to attract more guests to visit the Philippines. I believe that our ongoing campaign and the increasing air seats would help us achieve our goals,” Bengson said.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, meanwhile, said the availability of additional air seats between the Philippines and Japan is a sure boost to the department’s campaign of bringing in more guests. “This means more tourists can visit the country even during peak seasons,” he said.

 Durano issued the statement as low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific announces its inaugural flights to Osaka, Japan, in November. It will fly the Manila-Osaka route four times weekly.

At present, only four airlines fly the Philippine-Japan route, namely, Philippine Airlines (PAL), Northwest Airlines, Thai Airways and Japan Airlines.

PAL, the country’s flag carrier, is planning to increase its Manila-Osaka flights to seven days. It is also preparing to offer Osaka-Cebu flight twice a week.

Danny Lim, PAL country manager in Japan, said the additional air seats and the aggressive marketing campaigns being implemented by the DOT will help increase arrivals from Japan.

“The tourists will come in once we have the necessary infrastructure and the support services needed. We also need to promote newer destinations to the Japanese market,” Lim added.

Durano explained that the proximity between the Philippines and Japan also serves as an added factor for greater visitor traffic from Japan.

Bengson said the new route allow local travel and tour operators to tap a greater number of potential Japanese clients. “The Manila-Osaka route has a great potential to stimulate the Japanese market, which will create more opportunities for Japanese visitors to explore the various destinations in the Philippines,” Bengson said.

The DOT is also promoting the Philippines as a shopping destination for high-spending Japanese guests.

A report from Japanese credit- card company JCB estimates that Japanese guests spend $110 daily during their stay in the Philippines. 

The Philippines is also promoting itself as an alternative health, wellness and retirement haven for the aging Japanese market.

A report from the Japan National Institute of Population and Social Security said, about 20.2 percent of the Japan’s 120 million population belongs to the 65-and-above age bracket, or those in retirement age.

“The Philippines is an ideal destination for Japanese travelers because of the availability of goods and services they need. The proximity between the two countries is also an added factor,” Bengson emphasized. 

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