In a long-awaited move, Japan plans to introduce the APEC Business Travel Card program early next year to facilitate visa-free travel for business people from Japan and other APEC member economies, government sources said Thursday.
The sources said the government will make a formal decision on introducing the ABTC scheme before an annual summit of top leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which is scheduled for October in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Japan's introduction of ABTCs will bring to 13 the number of APEC member economies participating in the unique travel pass scheme, which aims to improve the mobility of business people within the Pacific Rim to facilitate trade, investment and other economic relations.