Australia and Japan partnered to promote tourism exchange between the two countries in 2013. Their national tourism organizations planned events and promotions throughout the year to encourage bilateral tourism. The partnership aimed to support longer term sustainable growth in the countries' visitor economies. It also looked to build on signs of recovery in Japanese tourism to Australia after declines in recent years due to various factors. Officials from both countries hoped the partnership would provide further momentum to reinvigorate the important Japanese visitor market in 2013 and beyond.

1. The Tyler
Barcelona

2. Australia and
Japan Partner
for Tourism
Exchange this
Year

3. January 1, 2013, Australia-Japan Tourism
Exchange Year partnership officially began.
Australia and Japan‟s national tourism
marketing organizations planned to partner last
year December 14, 2012 to encourage a two-
way tourism between the two nations as part of
a new initiative.
This intends to promote bilateral exchange
between the tourism industries of Australia and
Japan to guarantee longer term sustainable
growth in their visitor economies.
The plan is all throughout the year, a series of
promotions and hosted events will take place in
various regions throughout two countries. To

4. Japan has been a market of long standing
importance to Australian tourism and continued
to be a significant source of visitors to the
country, said Tourism Australia Managing
Director Andrew McEvoy.
“Despite the various factors that have impacted
tourism to Australia from Japan in recent
years, the fact remains that Japanese visitors
remain a very important and significant part of
our visitor economy,” added Mr McEvoy.
In 2011 alone visitors from Japan contributed
$1.4 billion in expenditure for Australia. And last
year the conditions improve for travel. In just a

5. This was very encouraging that lead to the
partnership. It reflected a positive turnaround
to growth, putting well track on more Japanese
visitors this year 2013.
“Partnering with JNTO to encourage bilateral
tourism opportunities in the coming year will
provide further impetus to our plans to harness
„the green shoots‟ we are seeing from Japan to
further reinvigorate the market,” Mr McEvoy
said. This is up to now being hold on to for the
further development of the partnership.
It is expected by Mr McEvoy that Australia‟s
marketing effort would be further boosted this
year with the roll out of the Japan specific

6. Mr Ryoichi Matsuyama, President, Japan
National Tourism Organization (JNTO), once
said Japan and Australia have kept a good
relationship over the past years.
“Australian tourist numbers to Japan even after
the Great East Japan Earthquake maintained the
position of 6th largest in 2011, which
demonstrates how important the Australian
market is to us,” Mr Matsuyama insisted.
So hopefully this year would be a better year for
the both country. Tokyo Japan has suffered
enough, this will be a great start of a great year.
Specific activities for the Australia-Japan

7. • Creating dedicated branding for industry to
use at any culture/sport events conducted in
Australia and Japan in 2013;
• Partnering to deliver content for an official
website in both Japanese and English to be
hosted by a travel media site, to introduce
information of Japan/Australia sister city
(www.jnto.org.au/2013) relationship and
culture/sports events conducted in both
countries; and
• Revitalizing Australia-Japan sister-city
activities as well as sister-school activities
through anniversary events.