Society

Tokyo to encourage foreign tourists to splurge on nightlife

Jan 21 (Japan Today) - The Tokyo metropolitan government will survey foreign tourists on what they enjoy about the city's nightlife, aiming to better cater to their interests while encouraging them to spend, a source said Saturday.

The central government, which is also considering a similar survey, is joining Tokyo authorities in stepping up efforts to increase tourist spending. Japan has seen a decline in the average expenditure per traveler in recent years, even as there has been a rapid increase in inbound visitor numbers.

The Tokyo government plans to spend up to 50 million yen to conduct the survey in fiscal 2018 on what foreign tourists like to do at night in the capital, the source said.

The survey results will be used to tailor information on the Tokyo government's website to promote a variety of popular spots to visit.

The number of foreign tourists surged 19.3% from the previous year to a record 28.69 million in 2017 and the Japanese government has a stated target of 40 million annual foreign visitors by 2020, the year Tokyo hosts the Olympics and Paralympics. Total spending by foreign visitors increased 17.8% in 2017 from a year earlier to a record 4.42 trillion yen.

But average spending per visitor fell 1.3% to 153,921 yen in 2017 following an 11.5% decrease the previous year. Chinese tourists, the largest source of foreign visitors to Japan who account for a fourth of the total, have cut back on spending.

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