TOKYO (Thomson Financial) - Japan plans to open up its regional airports to foreign airlines in an effort to increase the flow of tourists from Asia and enhance local economies, the Transport Ministry said Friday.
Japan will ease restrictions on air routes, allowing foreign carriers to launch services quickly without having to negotiate landing rights, the ministry said in a statement.....Japan has set a goal of attracting 10 million foreign visitors by 2010, nearly double the figure in 2003. Last year a record 8.1 million foreigners visited Japan, according to the government.....Japan hopes to channel tourists from the customary hubs of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya to outlying places such as Sapporo in the north and Fukuoka in the south to improve regional economies.
