Seeing that China is now the fastest growing economy, it seems logical that Japan would ease the visa restrictions on Chinese citizens visiting Japan. It should bring a lot more money to Japan and Korea is set to follow suit.
In 2000, a mere 350,000 Chinese tourists came to Japan. The reason for such a small number has nothing to do with distance, a little to do with finances and a lot to do with red tape. Visa restrictions used to be so strict that it was simply not worth it for Chinese citizens to go to Japan. Now that the restrictions have been eased, the Chinese middle class has more money and the borders are more open, everybody is a winner.
Last year, 1.01 million Chinese tourists came to Japan, despite the general dip in tourism and the global financial crisis. The aim is to lure 6 million tourists from China by 2016. This brings a tremendous amount of revenue to Japan. Indeed, the Chinese market is reported to be worth 200/300 billion yen to Japan on an annual basis. The Japanese may lose a little on visa fees but the benefits are there for all to see.
There will also be many changes made to the infrastructure of Japanese tourism in order to accommodate Chinese tourists. Staff in hotels will have Chinese flag sewed on their uniforms in order to make it clear they can speak the language. Similarly, extra services will be carried out in Chinese for the new tourists to feel at home. Korea is soon to follow the footsteps of the Japanese by allowing Chinese tourists to visit and enjoy the same rewards. The fear of the Chinese and the Chinese regime is beginning to be superceded by the smell of their cash in the Far East.
