*Tourism Department hasrequested 15.6% more VJC budget for FY2006

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Tourism Department has requested tourism budget of 4,799 million yen under the policy ofÉÇstrategically sending Japan brand and establishing internationally competitive tourism destinationsÉÇ for FY2006 starting April 1 2006. The budgetary request, which is 26.6% more than the budget for FY2005, includes 4,000 million yen for Visit Japan Campaign (VJC), 535million yen for Tourism Renaissance Project, 37 million yen for tourism promotion projects based on universal design and 27 million yen for improvement of interpreter and guide services.

This Week Headline
*Tourism Department has requested 15.6% more VJC budget for FY2006
+VJC focuses on the Chinese market for FY2006
+Doubling subsidy to ATA
*CAB requests 100 billion yen more budget for FY2006
*Tourism Malaysia is developing a new adverting campaign for Japan
+Expecting to welcome 5% to 10% more Japanese for FY2005
*KNT hammers out its Midterm Corporate Plan
*Bangkok Airways hopes to fly into Hiroshima in December
*China Southern revealed its intension to fly into New Kitakyushu
*Shanghai Airlines will fly into Toyama
*JAL is serious about rise of domestic flight airfares after next January
*Domestic passengers for the first quarter of FY2005 slightly increased
*Fourteen additional slots will be available at Haneda from this coming October
*Narita passengers for July reduced first time since May