Tourists From Japan To China

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30680, 20 February 1965, Page 5

Tourists From Japan To China

(from KIP COOPER in Tokyo)

POMMUNIST China will receive a substantial boost in “invisible” foreign exchange earnings this year if the plans of three Japanese travel agencies materialise.

The Japan-China Travel Bureau, JapanChina Peace Tourist Bureau and the Fuji International Travel Bureau are collaborating with Peking’s International Tourist Bureau to attract 2500 Japanese tourists to the Communist mainland in 1965.

Tourist exchange contracts have been signed between Communist Chinese and Japanese agencies. The agencies have registered with the Japanese Transportation Ministry.

So far. Japanese visitors to Communist China have been limited to those who received official invitations from Peking. The limitations were set in view of the absence of formal relations between the two nations and also because Japan restricted free travel by its citizens to save its own foreign exchange. Japan last spring lifted restrictions on free travel. Japanese could travel abroad on pleasure for the first time in their history. However, alarmed by the high number of applicants, the Government imposed an unpopular limitation of 500 dollars (180,000 yen) on the amount of foreign exchange travellers could take with them.

The Japanese agencies will charge 330,000 yen (915 dollars) for a three-week tour of such cities as Canton, Wuhan, Peking, Nanking, Soochow and return to Canton, and 300,000 yen (830 dollars) for a 10-day trip covering the same general area. In addition, travellers are permitted 500 dollars' worth of foreign exchange for personal purchases. Chinese travel agents already have prepared a number of attractive travel brochures for display in Japan.

Thus, many potential tourists to the West looked to the East for pleasure travel to stretch their allowance. The new travel agencies hope to take advantage of the closeness of Communist China, Japanese nostalgia for the mainland, normal Japanese curiosity, and the fact that Japanese will not have to “adapt” themselves to a distinctly different culture. In other words, they will not have to watch their manners as they have been officially cautioned to do when travelling in Western nations. Japanese visitors to China have increased slowly but steadily since 1961. Travellers to the mainland increased from 343 that year to 596 in 1962, 1778 in 1963, and 1831 in the first 11 months of last year. But while Communist China permits free entry of Japanese, Japan has limited the entry of Communist Chinese to special trade and cultural groups. The Prime Minister (Mr Sato) created a furore among Communist Chinese when he refused the Mayor of Peking, Mr Peng Chen, entry to attend a political meeting sponsored by the Japanese Communist Party. This year a small number of Communist Chinese travel agency and hotel officials are expected to visit Japan to inspect local tourist facilities. If large numbers of Japanese travel to Communist China on pleasure, Peking may revive its criticism of the Japanese refusal to initiate a direct air route between Communist China and Tokyo. Japanese travellers to China now have to enter by way of Hong Kong. The air fare from Tokyo to Hong Kong and return is 300 dollars. Travel agents already are saying this is excessive and that direct air and sea routes should be established.