Festival performers pose for the camera at the 14th Thai Festival in Sendai in May.
A stronger yen as a result of US-Japan currency interventions could incentivise more Japanese to travel overseas, especially to short-haul destinations such as Thailand, while Thai travellers should not be discouraged from visiting Japan, according to tourism operators.Yoshida Masahiro, a committee member of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said a sharp rise in the yen could persuade more Japanese tourists to travel overseas as a result of cheaper tour packages.
The Japanese currency has rebounded from 40-year lows near 164 to the US dollar to reach a range of 155-157, as America is collaborating with Tokyo to intervene in the yen as the nation struggles with high import costs and mounting public debt.
According to Mr Yoshida, Japan tourism operators are promoting two-way travel, encouraging them to travel abroad after Japan recorded the highest number of international arrivals last year, partly due to a weak yen.
Over the past few years, a weak yen prompted Japanese tourists to scale down their trips, such as cutting their stays from five- to four-star hotels, he noted.
