Japan is ready to go simpler

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   According to ‘RIA News’, on the 21st of November between Russia and Japan a intergovernmental memorandum was signed concerning the facilitation of the visa regime. Prime minister Junichiro Koizumi announced: ‘In the nearest three years we are intended to increase the mutual visits of the citizens of the two countries in three times to achieve the level of 400 000 people’. At the stage, the ‘facilitation of conditions of mutual trips’ will only concern the owners of diplomatic passports and citizens who deal with bilateral exchange in educations, science, culture, youth and sport organizations. However in the future this may concern tourists as well. This way, ‘Echo of Moscow’ referring to Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, head of the federal agency of tourism, informs that tourist groups exchange without visas is planned for the near future.
   The consulate department of Japan failed to comment on the results of the negotiation to a BANKO correspondent referring to the fact that official documents were not yet received. Tour operators follow the news and for the moment can only share their estimates in the relation to possible changes from the Japanese side.
   Natalia Pushkova, manager of the Japanese department of the travel company ‘Deo’, says that the consulate might not request the original of the invitation anymore which one has to wait for from Japan for weeks. According to her, this might ‘considerably boost the tourists flow’, as many people wish to fly a couple of days after applying for a visa, which is impossible at the moment. ‘Today from the moment of submitting the request and receiving the visa, there are 2-3 weeks’, Ms Pushkova states. It is even more difficult to ‘visit friends’ as documents are processed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a BANKO correspondent was told at the Japanese Consulate department.
   Market experts note a progressive increase of demand for holidays in Japan. In the first 6 months of 2005 Japan was visited by 10.6 thousand Russian tourist while last year the number was 8.7 thousand people for the same period. The Consulate department of Japan explains the increase by the ‘powerful work of Japanese companies’ and cheaper air fares.
   Nevertheless in the mind of Russian tourists Japan will hardly substitute Turkey. ‘The cheapest tour including visa, flight and accommodation for two excluding excursions, which we offer at the moment, costs $1980’ – says Ms Pushkova. Denis Nadezhdin, manager of Japan of ‘Varvarka travel’ firm has other numbers: ‘As a member of the group it will cost a tourist $3000-$4000. An individual tour without a flight will cost $4000’.