Olympic frenzy fuels Japanese tourism
TOKYO – Two years to go before the XXXII Olympic Summer Games, and this city is frenziedly preparing to host the premier international sporting event for the second time since 1964.
Ahead of Tokyo 2020, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) wants to increase foreign tourist arrivals from 29 million last year to 40 million by 2020.
According to the JNTO, tourism numbers for Japan have been growing annually by 33% since 2011. The upcoming Olympics will definitely be a booster that would sustain this growth.
The Japanese government has taken drastic steps to pump-prime its long-stagnant economy. Its parliament surprisingly passed a law in July allowing integrated casino resorts to operate starting 2020.
Airbnb's short-term rental services were legalized last year in anticipation of the expected spike in the demand for accommodation during the Olympic year. Mike Orgill, Airbnb Director of Public Policy for AsiaPacific, said the firm is keen on partnerships revolving around the 2020 Olympiad.
Last week,
Japan further relaxed visa requirements for Filipinos seeking tourist and business visas. This, after it allowed the granting of multiple entry visas instead of single entry ones previously. The five-year Japanese visa will soon be extended to 10 years.
In terms of technology, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea has been widely acclaimed as the most tech-centric games ever. It was, after all, the testing ground for the largest 5G wireless network showcase.
Many tech companies unveiled their new technologies there, including high speed video streaming, virtual reality viewing, and self-driving vehicles.
However, the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOPG) is very keen on surpassing the South Koreans' record. The Japanese think they can do even better during the 2020 games.
For instance, Cisco President Miyuki Suzuki believes that Tokyo will most likely surpass Pyeongchang since 5G should be commercially available in two years along with high definition 8K television. He knows whereof he speaks because Cisco is a Tokyo 2020 official partner for network equipment.
TOCOPG's spokesperson Masa Takaya is confident that Tokyo 2020 will deliver the most innovative Olympics ever. He observed that “top-tier corporate sponsors are investing in innovation towards 2020.”
At the same time, efforts are in place to control the $12.6-billion budget and keep costs down. One initiative is the use of existing facilities for some sports events, a move that has helped reduce venue costs by at least $2 billion. TOCOPG is currently working on this with both the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the incumbent administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
As a sign that the Japanese are looking beyond the 2020 Olympiad, the official mascot chosen by the TOCOPG is named Miraitowa — a combination of the Nihonggo words for future and eternity.