Japan embassy expecting rise in visa applications from Qatar

The Japanese embassy in Doha is expecting to see a rise in the number of visa applications from Qatar after the FIFA World Cup 2022, especially in the spring, Japan’s ambassador to Qatar Satoshi Maeda has said."Now that visiting Japan in spring has become possible for the first time in three years after the (coronavirus/Covid-19) pandemic, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) is currently strengthening information dissemination through social media and other means to promote such seasonal visits to Japan,” he told Gulf Times.Maeda noted that the number of visitors from the Middle East normally peaks in spring during the season for cherry blossoms, and the Japanese government’s drastic easing of border measures would further boost its tourism sector.He said that Japan’s charm lies not only in its numerous interesting and stunning tourist attractions regardless of the seasons."Actually, in addition to cherry blossoms in the spring, visitors can enjoy a variety of tourist attractions unique to Japan that will always keep them entertained all year long, such as the outdoor activities in Japan’s green nature in the summer, the colourful autumn leaves, and the seasonal foods in the autumn, the high-quality powder snow and hot springs in the winter,” the envoy said."Furthermore, Japan is one of the world’s safest destinations,” Maeda pointed out. "We are confident that a one-time visit to Japan is not enough to experience all it has to offer.”Aiming to encourage more people to visit and get interested in Japan as a travel destination, the ambassador said that the JNTO established its first overseas office in the Middle East last year in Dubai.This, he pointed out, forms part of the Japanese government’s efforts to achieve the government’s target of welcoming 60mn international visitors by 2030 and to attract more tourists from the wider region.As such, the envoy said that the JNTO announced plans to introduce touristic attractions such as Japanese food, nature, culture and history while focusing on the main destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.Maeda cited a considerable decrease in the number of visitors to Japan from Qatar compared to pre-Covid-19 pandemic figures due to the border restrictions imposed by the Japanese government for more than two years.Japan, he noted, fully reopened only in October this year, a month before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2022, and the embassy has yet to see a significant increase in the number of visitors from Qatar."I believe the reason for that is simply because most Qataris opted not to travel during the World Cup, as did most of the residents, in order to witness this special event firsthand in Qatar,” the envoy stated. "I think we all would agree that it’s a great opportunity that no one wants to miss.”Maeda said that the recognition of Japan as a travel destination is growing among the people of Qatar, noting that it was not as popular as other travel destinations, such as Europe or the US."Japan is undoubtedly known to everyone and loved as a country and a culture, thanks to the influence of anime/manga and the popularity of the Japanese cars and high tech for instance,” he said. "Nonetheless, many people still have misconceptions about Japan when it comes to travelling; for example, that Japan is unaffordable or far away or such, so the influx of tourists from this region is still low compared to other parts of the world.”"However, we are seeing a positive change in that regard before the pandemic partly due to the Japanese government’s efforts to attract more visitors from the region,” Maeda added. "I expect that such trend will continue and hopefully we will see a major increase of visitors from the Middle East in the coming years.”