According to a recent report by Nikkei Newspaper, the Chinese government is preparing to remove the current ban on travel companies from servicing Chinese travelers. Until now non-Chinese travel companies, such Japanese giant JTB, were allowed to operate in China, but their customers could not be Chinese citizens. Last year a total of 17 companies ha applied for permission to operate under the new plan. The plan to remove the restrictions has been in the works for some time, but because of international friction in 2010, the plan was put on hold.
The removal of restrictions is predicted to greatly expand the number of Chinese tourists coming to Japan. Tourism is extremely important for Japan’s economy and it will benefit more than most countries because of it’s close proximity to China.
