The Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan Association of Travel Agents have called on Japanese citizens to travel abroad in order to boost the country’s airline and tourism industries, which have been struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the steady growth in the number of visitors to Japan since border restrictions were eased last year, Japanese nationals are believed to be hesitant to travel abroad due to infection concerns and a weak yen.
Initiatives to Boost International Travel in Japan and Promote Recovery of Tourism Industry
According to government data, only 36% of Japanese nationals who left the country in March totaling 694,300 people, traveled abroad, compared to March 2019 before the pandemic. In contrast, foreign arrivals to Japan have recovered to 65.8% of the level in March 2019.
To encourage international travel, the Japan Tourism Agency will focus on promoting travel to 24 countries and regions, including the United States and Thailand, and will work with their respective official tourism bureaus. Additionally, the Japan Association of Travel Agents will gift 8,000 yen in electronic money by lottery to 3,210 people who acquire a 10-year passport and fly internationally between July 1 and Sept 30. The application process for this incentive will begin on May 15.
During a press conference, Koichi Wada, the head of the Japan Tourism Agency, emphasized the importance of travel demand recovering in both directions. He stated, “Flight numbers will not recover on visitors to Japan alone.”
Hiroyuki Takahashi, the chairman of JATA, expressed hope that this initiative will pave the way towards a recovery in travelers through the summer holidays. The Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan Association of Travel Agents believe that this push to encourage international travel will be vital in boosting the struggling airline and tourism industries in Japan.
