Governor of Kanagawa prefecture Kuroiwa Yuji said that Vietnam has become one of the most important tourism markets to Japan, with Japan receiving approximately 234,000 Vietnamese visitors in 2016, up 26% compared to 2015.
In addition, Vietnamese tourists post the highest spending in Japan when compared to other foreign tourists, spending approximately JPY237,000 (US$2,095) per tourist.
Takahashi Ayumi, head of the JNTO representative office in Vietnam, said that Kanagawa prefecture has many internationally well-known tourist sites including Yokohama harbour city, resorts, spas and hot springs in Hakone, as well as the coastal town of Kamakura.
In particular, visitors can visit various popular tourist sites in Yokohama, including the Yokohama Landmark Tower, Red Brick Warehouse, Yamashita park, Motomachi classical western residential area and a Japanese garden with historic architecture, among others.
Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu said that Vietnam considers Japan as one of its key tourism markets, noting that Vietnam welcomed more than 740,000 Japanese visitors in 2016, up 10.3% compared to 2015.
The Vietnamese Government has offered visa exemptions for Japanese visitors coming Vietnam, since 2013, and Vietnam also hopes for the same policy from the Japanese Government to boost tourism, Sieu said.
Sieu expressed his hope that through the workshop more Vietnamese people will gain a further understanding of the culture, people and landscape in Kanagawa and Japan in preparation for future trips to Japan.
