With more and more travellers returning to Europe, the European Travel Commission (ETC) is reminding Japanese travel advisors and consumers of the available resources on hand to help them keep up with, and navigate through, the ongoing changes.

ETC reports that long-haul travel continues to gain momentum, thanks largely to pent-up demand, the ease of restrictions and gradual increase in flight capacity. 2019 saw 5 million tourist arrivals in Europe from the Japanese market. The outlook for this market remains positive with Japanese tourist arrivals to Europe expected to reach 35% pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and a full rebound by 2025.

With recovery on its way, European destinations had a strong presence at Tourism Expo Japan 2022, which took place from 22 to 25 September at Tokyo Big Sight. ETC showcased a multitude of European destinations through its EUROPE pavilion reflecting the optimism of Japanese tourism returning to Europe soon. European destinations exhibiting in the EUROPE pavilion included Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland. In addition to the EUROPE pavilion, Tourism Expo Japan also showed strong individual presences of other major European destinations, such as Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Italy, Malta, and Spain.

ETC is also planning a major consumer promotional campaign to inspire Japanese travellers to rediscover Europe again. The campaign, which is co-funded by the European Union, is entitled “Europe Invites the Curious” and will roll out in Japan this autumn. This multi-channel digital campaign will include all the latest updates and information about travel experiences that consumers can enjoy in Europe, with a focus on cities, culture, and gastronomy. Europe has adapted to the pandemic, implemented strict safety protocols, and launched numerous new travel experiences.
Visit reopen.europa.eu for more information on travel and health measures in Europe; and ETC’s consumer portal visiteurope.com for travel ideas and inspiration.