Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Opens Office in Dubai

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) will establish an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates within 2021, as part of its strategic efforts to achieve the Japanese government’s goal of welcoming 60 million international visitors to Japan by 2030. It is the first such office by JNTO to open in the Middle East, and will be a focal point for the organization’s promotional efforts in showcasing Japan as a preferred travel destination for residents in the region. JNTO has positioned the Middle East as a priority market and will promote tourism exchange between the Middle East and Japan in order to strengthen the relationship between the two.

JNTO President, Satoshi Seino said: “JNTO is proud to open an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this year, which will be the first office to open in the whole Middle East by JNTO. Japan is a country with a long history, abundant nature and a unique culture. We are internationally renowned for our delicious cuisine, beaches, skiing, pop culture, shopping, and historic wooden architecture such as shrines and temples. A trip to Japan will surely be an unforgettable and special experience. To all in the Middle East, we look forward to welcoming you in Japan.”

Tomoko Kikuchi, Executive Director of JNTO Dubai Preparation Office, comments: “We are delighted to be at the Arabian Travel Market Hybrid (ATM 2021), the largest travel trade fair in the Middle East. We are also very honoured to be able to open the JNTO Dubai Office in the memorable year of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and EXPO 2020 in Dubai.

The number of GCC citizens visiting Japan reached a record high of 28,222 in 2019, an increase of 28.4% when compared to the number of visitors in 2018.

This number has doubled in the last five years, and indicative of Japan’s rising popularity as a travel destination within the region. Through our participation at such events as ATM 2021, we plan to strengthen our cooperation with the region’s airlines and travel agencies while raising interest in the Middle East for travel to Japan.”

JNTO in Dubai

To further increase tourism demand from the Middle East to Japan, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with Emirates on 30 October 2019 to jointly promote Japan as a destination of choice for travellers from the Middle East seeking authentic, unique and luxurious experiences.

The multi-faceted promotional campaign will target consumers throughout the Gulf Countries by undertaking various joint online and media activities.

In March 2019, JNTO and the Japan Tourism Agency highlighted the Middle East as a new key market for strategic development, within which increased marketing activities will take place based on the market’s high potential for luxury-based outbound travel. Since then the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has strengthened its promotional presence within the region, which has included participation at the Arabian Travel Market 2019 in April, and its appointment of a representative office in Dubai with AVIAREPS in September 2019. Prior to the signing of the MOC with Emirates, joint promotional seminars were also held with leading travel agencies in the UAE in 2019.