The Japan Tourism Agency will start ranking its 1,700 or so information centers across the country based on quality of service provided to foreign travelers, agency officials said Sunday.
The rankings will appear on the websites of the agency and other relevant groups starting possibly in fiscal 2012, the officials said.
Tourism centers are usually run by local governments and private companies. The JTA will assign each center one of three grades based on number of foreign languages the staff can accommodate and the content of their pamphlets and brochures, they said.
It also plans to recognize innovative undertakings in the industry and review the rankings every three years or so, they said.
In addition, the Japan National Tourism Organization will provide information about the location of automated teller machines that accept overseas credit cards and Wi-Fi spots that can be used by travelers dependent on Internet access, they added.