The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) opens an office in Guangzhou on Dec 19 to serve the South China area. [Photo/southcn.com]

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) opened an office in Guangzhou on Dec 19, expecting to further promote the friendly communication between the two countries and boost cultural tourism cooperation.

JNTO's Guangzhou office is the fourth of its kind set up in China and will cover the South China area, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Hainan. 

The office will team up with airlines, travel agencies, and media outlets to contribute to the tourism promotion of both China and Japan, as well as to meet the needs of the growing number of tourists visiting Japan from the South China area.

A person in charge from Japan's consulate general in Guangzhou said that new airlines connecting Japan and Guangdong are expected to be launched next year after friendly negotiations.

A person in charge of JNTO noted that China is Japan's most valued tourist source country and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan has exceeded over 8.88 million from January to November this year.