On June 12, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved seven routes, including one dubbed Onsen Island Kyushu, as the first thrust in an effort to attract foreign tourists to regional areas of Japan. The ministry has a ¥300 million budget for fiscal 2015 to promote tourism to outlying areas and reduce congestion along the so-called Golden Route between Tokyo and Kyoto. Kyushu’s plan, spearheaded by the Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization, encompases the entire island of Kyushu and focuses on the themes of onsen (hot springs) and nature. The plan includes a model 4-night/5-day route for Chinese tourists that starts in Kagoshima, works its way to Fukuoka via Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Oita and ends in Nagasaki. The Organization aims to boost the number of foreign tourists to Kyushu from 1.68 million in 2014 to 2.88 million by 2018 and to account for 10% of Japan’s share of foreign tourists by 2018 (up from 7% in 2014). Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 6/13
