of The Japanese government is considering bringing back the travel discount campaign once again they have operated in previous years, offering vouchers to be used at local hotels and restaurants.
The promotion was designed to boost Japan’s tourism sector, which has been almost exclusively based on domestic clientele since Japan developed into a hermit kingdom 2.5 years ago.
Japan is still one of the most popular countries that visitors want to visit worldwide, but with its borders closed to individual tourism since March 2020, the countries tourism sector has been hit hard.
Since the start of the pandemic, Japan has made it nearly impossible for foreigners to enter the country unless they are staying in the country as foreign residents, workers, students or family visas. Last year, Japan also began allowing business travelers to apply for visas at Japanese embassies and consulates after the visa waiver program was also discontinued.
Then this year, the government floated a plan to allow North Korean-style guided tours into Japan, which was a massive failure as only a few thousand arrived, most from Thailand.
Now the Japan Times reports that the government is trying to stimulate tourism again by bringing back the discount coupon campaign for autumn/winter travel.
The government is considering launching a nationwide travel discount program as early as this fall, after a delay due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.
Initially, the government planned to launch the program, aimed at supporting the hospitality and transportation industries hit hard by the pandemic, in July.
The program would expand the existing one that offers discounts and vouchers for travel within local regions.
Under the new program, costs for public transportation and accommodation will be reduced by up to ¥8,000 per night per person. Expenses will be reduced to ¥5,000 for accommodation alone.
In addition, people will receive vouchers worth ¥3,000 on weekdays and ¥1,000 on weekends for use at restaurants.
The new program may not be available in some areas of the country depending on the COVID-19 situation, as decisions on its introduction will be left entirely to prefectural governments.
In addition to the travel discount program, the central government is considering lifting its daily limit on the number of incoming travelers, reopening borders to individual foreign travelers and enabling visa-free travel next month.
The visa waiver will be available to people from about 70 nations and regions who were eligible for short visa-free stays in Japan before the pandemic, a government official said.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce the easing of border control measures during a trip to New York next week in order to advertise the move to the international community.
Kishida told a meeting of Asian business leaders in Tokyo on Thursday that Japan will soon ease its border control measures even further. “Free and lively exchanges between people are the foundations of the economy and society,” he said. …
There is no mention of whether this discount will also be available to foreigners traveling to Japan or only to locals under some form of taxpayer relief scheme.
Here’s how their Go To Travel campaign worked in summer 2020:
Japan’s confusing “Go on a Trip” campaign
I sure hope this time it would be structured a bit better and people could navigate it easier as their first attempt was really a mess, and a lot of effort went into paying off the discounts.
In terms of bringing back the visa waiver program and ending the cap on international arrivals, I’m sure I can speak the most when I say that we’re all excited about what will be announced next week.
I decided to apply for a JP business visa here in Germany just in case they pull the plug again and eventually come up with something that isn’t exactly up to the standards for painless travel. One of my business partners in Japan was able to get me an invitation certificate through the ERFS database and there is no visa fee for German citizens, so stopping at the consulate in Dusseldorf was an easy thing to do. I have to get my passport next week and then go back to Asia after a month break.
Conclusion
The Japanese government is currently considering renewing a domestic travel discount campaign that would give eligible travelers discounts on public transportation and accommodation up to ¥8,000 per night per person plus an additional ¥4,000 restaurant discount.
No details have yet been released and we will be following any announcements the government makes in the coming weeks regarding the reopening of Japan to individual foreign travelers as well as the domestic travel campaign. Hopefully something substantial and helpful will be announced soon.
