A five-year period, 2003-2007, has been named the Strategic Period to Expand Inbound Tourism to eight million visitors per year by the end of 2007. If this annual average growth rate of at least 9% is attained, it will create an economic ripple worth more than US$22.6 billion (JPY2.7 trillion) and new jobs for at least 156,000 people.In 2003, the government began implementing a new plan through a broad range of strategies designed to strengthen its international tourism competitiveness. A policy package - the first of its kind in Japan - was formulated in close collaboration between the government and the private sector. It includes a number of measures proposed by various ministries, government bodies and private-sector interests. The government has said: It is vitally important for local government bodies, tourism-related organisations and private-sector enterprises to share the same awareness and enthusiasm in pursuing the stated goals.

By the end of 2003, there were almost 13.3 million outbound trips from Japan and more than 5.2 million inbound arrivals, improving the ratio of outbound to inbound from a high of almost 4.6 in 1995 to just below 2.6 in 2003.