First individual Chinese tourists visit Japan

Japan on Wednesday welcomed the first Chinese tourists travelling individually rather than on tours, under visa changes that aim to lure more wealthy foreigners amid the recession. Until now, Chinese tourists had to travel in groups escorted by tour guides from both countries, a rule meant to prevent illegal immigration. But in response to growing demand, Tokyo started issuing visas to individual Chinese tourists this month. At Tokyo's Narita Airport, Japan Airlines arranged a warm welcome for the 19 tourists from Beijing and Shanghai. They were greeted by a person dressed as Hello Kitty wearing a traditional Japanese kimono. Several children arriving from China were given stuffed toys of the cartoon cat, which Japan has chosen as a "friendship ambassador" to promote tourism, especially from the Hong Kong and China markets. "Welcome to Japan," said Yoshiaki Hompo, head of the Japan Tourism Agency. "There are no more worries about swine flu. Please enjoy your travels in Japan." Japan expected 65 individual tourist arrivals from China on Wednesday, flying in on JAL, All Nippon Airways and Air China to several airports throughout the country, the tourist agency said. "The Chinese market has great potential for tourism, especially for wealthy people to come here and boost consumption," said Hompo. "Japan and China have had a complex history, but the exchanges of people could enhance mutual understanding," he added. "I want them to enjoy shopping and walking around freely in Japan." Fan Chengyan, a 51-year-old businesswoman who arrived with her four children, said she would spend five days travelling around Japan. "If I had time, I would like to see Kyoto, Mount Fuji and many areas of Tokyo. I heard Japan is a very environmentally friendly country. So I want to experience that," she said. Under the new visa rules for China, applicants for individual tourist visas need "good references in terms of occupation, financial resources and other factors," the government has said. The annual number of Chinese arrivals in Japan -- including both business visitors and tourists -- reached one million last year and is projected to hit 1.25 million in 2010.

Real recruits seen drawing more Asian tourists to Spain

MADRID (AFP) - – Real Madrid's recruitment of star players like Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil's Kaka will lead to in increase in visitors from Asia to Spain, a tourism trade body predicted Wednesday. Juan Melian, the head of the Tourism Panel which groups about 30 major tourism-related companies, said the arrival of players "with an extraordinary media impact in the Asian market would boost the appeal of Madrid and the rest of the country as a holiday destination to thousands of football fans." "Sports serves as a great promotional showcase for any country," he added in a statement. Last month Real signed Ronaldo from Manchester United for a record of around 94 million euros and Kaka from AC Milan for 65 million euros as the Spanish giants returned to the era of the "galacticos" or "superstars". Club president Florentino Perez, who was restored at the helm of Real in June elections, was also responsible for a similar policy from 2000-2006 and is splashing the cash again to restore the team's fortunes. During his first stint at the club Perez signed Portugal's Luis Figo, England's David Beckham, France's Zinedine Zidane and Brazil's Ronaldo who drew large crowds during the tours of Asia which Real carried out during the period. The museum at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium with its trophy room where all the club's championship cups are displayed is one of the Spanish capital's key attractions. About 700,000 people visit the museum each year, according to Real. Melian also predicted that the role which Spanish forward Pau Gasol played in helping the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA championship this season would help increase the number of visitors to Spain from the United States. Spain has slipped to third place in the ranking of most-visited countries in the world, behind the United States and France, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation. The country received 57.4 million tourists in 2008, a 2.6 percent decline over the previous year and the first fall in over a decade, according to national statistics institute INE. Europe accounts for the bulk of all visitors to Spain. The tourism sector accounts for about 11 percent of the country's jobs and gross domestic product.