Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, gave a personal welcome to ABTA delegates at the opening ceremony of this year’s Convention in Japan.
In a pre-recorded video made especially for the event – the first ever ABTA Convention held in Asia – the PM said the UK was a key market for the destination and was expected to grow further thanks to the Rugby World Cup and next year’s Olympic Games.
He spoke of the country’s wish to open up more to tourism and of Japan’s ambitious growth plans.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), the country welcomed a record 31.2 million inbound tourism arrivals in 2018, 8.7% more than the previous year.
Japan has set a target of 40 million inbound visitors by 2020 and 60 million by 2030.
ABTA’s new chairman, Alistair Rowland, chief retail officer of Mid-Counties Co-operative Ltd, opened the conference by paying tribute to former staff of Thomas Cook following the company’s collapse last month.
"I know that all of you here at the Convention will be very mindful of the difficulties being experienced at home by former staff."
He said the association’s charity, ABTA Lifeline, was available to support those in need.
