To further increase tourism demand from the Middle East to Japan, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with Emirates on 30 October 2019 to jointly promote Japan as a destination of choice for travellers from the Middle East seeking authentic, unique and luxurious experiences.

The multi-faceted promotional campaign will target consumers throughout the Gulf Countries by undertaking various joint online and media activities.

In March 2019, JNTO and the Japan Tourism Agency highlighted the Middle East as a new key market for strategic development, within which increased marketing activities will take place based on the market’s high potential for luxury-based outbound travel. Since then the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has strengthened its promotional presence within the region, which has included participation at the Arabian Travel Market 2019 in April, and its appointment of a representative office in Dubai with AVIAREPS in September 2019. Prior to the signing of the MOC with Emirates, joint promotional seminars were also held with leading travel agencies in the UAE on 29 and 30 October 2019.

Continuing its ongoing marketing efforts and commitment to the Middle East market, JNTO is also planning to open a direct office in the UAE in 2020, through which promotional activities in the region will be further strengthened.

Adnan Kazim, chief commercial officer, Emirates Airline commented on the MOC signing, saying: “We are pleased to partner with the Japan National Tourism Association to promote Japan to GCC travellers. The agreement to jointly promote Japan underscores Emirates’ confidence in the potential and attractiveness of the country as a world-class destination that offers unique experiences, and we are committed to promoting tourism from key target markets including the UAE, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. We aim to play a major part in growing the market through our strong connectivity to three Japanese points – Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda and Kansai International Airport in Osaka.”

Shuichi Kameyama, executive senior vice president said, “We are extremely happy to commence joint promotions in the Middle East with Emirates to encourage increased visitor traffic from the region to Japan. Through these collaborations, we look forward to not only welcoming many more guests from the region to experience the very best that Japan has to offer, but also for our organization to further strengthen and deepen our relationship with Emirates going forward.”

Japan has been an important part of Emirates’ network since 2002. Today, the airline offers 21 weekly flights to three Japanese points – Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda and Kansai International Airport in Osaka. Onboard, Emirates offers a Japanese dining experience across all three classes, including specialized traditional Kaiseki cuisine for First Class passengers and bento boxes in Business Class. The airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice, offers over 4,500 channels of movies, TV shows and programmes, including several channels of Japanese content. The Emirates onboard experience not only caters to Japanese customers but also gives travellers from the Middle East a flavour of Japan before they arrive.