NHK reported this afternoon that the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2016 reached a record of about 24.03 million due partly to the increase in the number of flights and cruise ships connecting Japan and Asia. The network also reported online that the relaxation of visa requirements for tourists from China and Vietnam and the improved duty-free system for foreign visitors contributed to the increase. The network added that the GOJ is planning to increase the number of foreign visitors to 40 million annually by 2020 through improving airports, ports, and other infrastructure and discovering new tourism resources.