Influx of Japanese tourists is seen to increase with the eyed direct flights from Bohol to Japan and vice versa.
Gov. Arthur Yap shared the idea as he noted that only 2.5 percent of Bohol’s more than 1.5 million tourist arrivals are from Japan.
Yap believes that direct Bohol-Japan-Bohol flight could improve the figures to expand Bohol’s tourism economy and generate more jobs as needed.
Yap was recently in Japan to join other provincial officials so they could lobby for direct flights between Panglao International Airport and Ibaraki Japan Airport.
Yap was with Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto and her predecessor, Alfonso Damalerio II.
They met Japan Assistant Vice Minister for Transport Tourism and Civil Aviation Jotaro Horiuchi to lobby for direct flights to the Bohol Panglao International Airport (BPIA).
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan assured the possibility of having direct flights from Japan to BPIA, in coordination with travel and tour operators.
At present, the BPIA accommodates flights from Chengdu, China, twice a week; and from Incheon, South Korea, daily.
Yap also met with Tochigi Vice Governor Okamoto Seiji and former Senator Tetsuro Yano when they visited Tochigi Prefecture.
Both the Bohol officials and Tochigi officials shared the common interest in promoting tourism, culture and arts, local governance and investments.
In Ibarakki last Friday, Ibaraki Prefecture Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa welcomed the Bohol officials and agreed to a partnership in terms of tourism and investments as they also discussed the direct flight from Ibarakki to Panglao.
The general manager of Ibarakki airport and civil aviation officials facilitated the tour of Yap and other Bohol officials at the Ibarakki Airport.
Yap met airline operators and travel agencies.
He also attended a conference at the Philippine embassy in Tokyo which the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had arranged. He presented growth areas for investment in Bohol to investors and technology providers.
The Bohol delegation joined Senior Commercial Counsellor Dita Angara Mathay with Robbie Mathay and Commercial Attaché Kenneth Yap.
Moreover, Yap gave a presentation to Senior Vice President Tanaka Yasushi and other top officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) various infrastructure projects for Bohol at JICA General Headquarters in Tokyo.
During the conference, Yap shared to JICA officials in Tokyo, the upcoming tourism-related infrastructure projects for Bohol.