The Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JTTA) and Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) announced on June 12 that they are launching the second annual JATA Tourism Expo Japan 2015 that will be held from September 24 through 27, 2015, at Tokyo Big Sight.

JATA Tourism EXPO Japan 2015:

- Date: September 24-27, 2015

- Venue: Tokyo Big Sight and Marunouchi area, Tokyo

(Photo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M102615/201506111047/_prw_OI1im_5R7B70dG.jpg )

(Documentation: http://www.t-expo.jp/en/news/pdf/150609_en.pdf )

JATA Tourism EXPO Japan is designed to promote tourism both overseas and inbound to Japan, as well as domestic tourism within the country. It sees the tourism industry partnering with other sectors and regions in a nationwide effort to host the world's largest tourism-related event.

The first step in this direction was the 2014 goal of "A new journey." For the second JATA Tourism EXPO Japan, we are ramping up our goals and aiming to be the locus for all things related to the travel industry as Japan moves towards 2020.

This year, in addition to the JAPAN NIGHT 2015, a city-based MICE event hosted out of Tokyo's Marunouchi area, we will have the first International Tourism Leaders Meeting, which focuses on the ASEAN region. We have also launched the Japan Tourism Award, which is conferred on organizations and individuals that have made notable contributions to the growth and development of the tourism industry. Also on the schedule is an exhibit which brings together domestic and global tourism information in one place, promotions in advance of the opening of the new Hokkaido bullet train line, and a gourmet project featuring popular rice bowl dishes from throughout Japan. Other must-see events include special exhibits from central Asian countries.

In addition, the International Tourism Forum will be an opportunity to discuss issues of "Tourism and Culture" and explore Japan's mission in the global tourism space. Being held concurrently with the EXPO are the VISIT Japan Travel Mart (VJTM) and VISIT Japan MICE Mart (VJMM), held by the Japan National Tourism Organization. This makes for a triple-pronged event that covers overseas travel, inbound travel to Japan, and domestic travel within the country.