Japan looks to domestic travel to rebuild tourism sector

Japan has lifted a state of emergency and is preparing to begin a phased relaunch of the domestic tourism sector. The nationwide state of emergency has been in place for seven weeks.

However, new cases of Covid-19 are steadily declining, with officials hoping to reopen sections of the economy. Tokyo and Hokkaido were among the last prefectures to see the restrictions lift, as a staggered approach was conducted throughout Japan. The first phase will see schools, gyms, libraries and galleries reopen, while restaurants will be allowed to stay open longer.

Shinkansen services run by JR will continue to operate to the scheduled timetables and the professional baseball season will restart in June, without spectators. Tokyo mayor, Yuriko Koike, urged the public to remain vigilant in terms of sanitation and social distancing measures to avoid another wave of cases. With restrictions lifted, attention is turned to domestic travel for those based in Japan.

The ‘Go To Travel’ campaign run by the Japanese government and Japan Tourism Authority is focused on revitalising the domestic tourism market. With new cases currently on the decline, Japan will be balancing safety and hygiene with getting people within Japan back to enjoying what their beautiful country has to offer. However, international travellers looking for a cheap trip are out of luck.

Earlier this week, stories circulated that authorities would pay half of the travel expenses of tourists arriving in the country.