Tokyo expecting 8 million fans for Games

CHENNAI: Coronavirus scare may not have an impact on fans heading to Tokyo for the Olympics in July according to Kazuomi Yamashita, Director of Marketing, Tourist Promotion Department, Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau (TCVB).

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Kazuomi said around 4.5 lakh people from China visit Japan every two months. Now after the outbreak of the virus, this inflow may have been affected. Kazuomi, who was in the city to promote Tokyo tourism, said “Olympics will not get affected. Already 7.8 million tickets have been sold. The 2012 London Olympics got over 8 million visitors, and we are expecting more than that.” He said the number of Indian tourists visiting Tokyo has seen a steady annual increase. It recorded a growth of 14.2 per cent in 2019 compared to 2018. “We are expecting an increase in this percentage this year.  In 2019, 1.7 lakh people from India visited the country. We also have ANA flights from Chennai to Tokyo as well. We hope with all these developments, tourists arrival in Tokyo might increase.”

(From left) Masakao Ono, Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau Ambassador in India, actor Nithya Menen, Director of Marketing/Promotion, Tourist Promotion Department, Kazuomi Yamashita and Mika Kubota during a Tokyo Tourism press conference in Chennai on Friday | DEBADATTA MALLICK