※This is a machine-translated text of the original article.

Visa Inc. announced that it had signed a partnership agreement with Osaka Prefecture and the Osaka Tourism Bureau for the promotion of tourism and cashless payments.

In 2018, the percentage of foreign visitors to Japan in Osaka Prefecture was the second largest after Tokyo (36.63%)(※1), and the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded 11.42 million (※2).

In addition, Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport are already in place where they can use internationally standardized security verification technologies to make Visa touch payments, and the number of domestic and overseas tourists is expected to increase in anticipation of the Osaka Expo in 2025.

Going forward, the company will work with Osaka Prefecture and the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau to conduct marketing analysis, including spending, develop a cashless environment, including touch payments for tourist destinations, disseminate Osaka’s appeal to domestic and overseas tourists, and promote tourism. By doing so, it will contribute to disseminating Osaka’s appeal and attracting tourists.

(※1) Japan Tourism Agency (JTA), “Estimation of 2018 Annual Values”
(※2) Announced by the Osaka Tourism Bureau (estimated based on Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) “Number of Visitors to Japan” and Japan Tourism Agency “Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan”)

Original Text: https://ampmedia.jp/2019/12/23/visa-3/