The government has selected three cities — Kushiro in east Hokkaido, Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture and Nagasaki — as model cities for luring foreign visitors to the countryside, tourism minister Keiichi Ishii announced Friday.
The three cities will each create organizations to promote exchanges between the public and private sectors, polish the appeal of their tourism resources, such as traditional culture and nature, and strengthen PR overseas, Ishii said.
"I want the three cities to take pioneering measures so they can set the example for other cities," Ishii said.
