New campaign to attract more Japanese tourists

A NEW campaign has been launched to attract high-spending Japanese tourists to North Wales.

- By OWEN HUGHES Business Correspondent

Jim Jones, the CEO of North Wales Tourism, will be banging the drum for the region after being invited to address an international symposium on the island of Hokkaido in September.

‘The organization started forging closer links with the tourism operators in the Land of the Rising Sun in 2015 after Conwy was the only UK town included in a list of Europe's 30 most beautiful towns and villages.

In 2018 the Japanese Association of Travel Agents (JATA) selected the A55 as one of the Top 20 most beautiful roads in Europe, naming it the Road of Castles in Wonderland.

‘The following year it led to the castles in Conwy and the Japanese city of Himeji being twinned as part of an historic agreement.

Both fortresses date back to the 13th century and are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

‘The spectacular five-storey wooden castle in Himeji also provided a backdrop to the classic James Bond movie You Only Live Twice.