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Japan aims to revive inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2025

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Whoever wrote this piece has obviously not looked at the price of tickets to Japan from Europe and the US.

But don’t worry the unwanted Chinese will be back soon and everything will be rosy!

0 ( +27 / -27 )

I don't think international tourists will be happy and comfortable with their visit, while the "mask habit" is still in play. People who haven't worn a mask for a year in any circumstances, are unlikely to enjoy being told to wear one, or glared at for not wearing one.

9 ( +31 / -22 )

The fact is, it's out of Japan's hands. It depends on what they do regarding quarantine and restrictions in China.

14 ( +23 / -9 )

the government aims for annual tourist spending to reach 5 trillion yen ($34 billion) as soon as possible

Ask the tourist to spend more money on ramen and sake? While enforcing face mask?

4 ( +22 / -18 )

Plenty of people will come to Japan. Tourism will be at healthy levels, in the high double digits by the end of 2024, if no more lockdowns from Covid.

The majority of people want to come in the next 1 to 5 years.

My advice is; Don't bet against Japan when it comes to Tourism as a destination.

-4 ( +19 / -23 )

Whoever wrote this piece has obviously not looked at the price of tickets to Japan from Europe and the US.

How many tourists were there from Europe and USA before the pandemic? In comparison to Chinese tourists, a negligible number.

But don’t worry the unwanted Chinese will be back soon and everything will be rosy!

Chinese tourists are unwanted???? Who decided that? Certainly hotels, restaurants and retail outlets didn't.

Even before the pandemic, Chinese tourists dominated the market. Since then vis-a-vis Europe and USA, China has gotten much richer.

Of course it seems by the last half of the message, you also desperately want Chinese tourists back but in the first half of the comment, you think it's "cool" or may be you will "thumbs up" is you say they are unwanted.

3 ( +14 / -11 )

Gambare Nihon! Still can't believe its opened up after so long! I'll be going back home to Nihon soon (on business to sell my book, so maybe I won't count as a tourist!)

-19 ( +2 / -21 )

No one can afford the ticket

19 ( +28 / -9 )

The most obvious way to attract regional tourists is Curry Rice tours, each region has its own take on it, some have a brown sauce, while others have a brown sauce. Like wine the different prefectural notes are a joy to behold. The potential is underrated.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Japan certainly has a "Love & Hate" attitude to foreigners, sorry, tourists!

2 ( +28 / -26 )

They'll need to remove the excessive mask and Covid rules before that will happen. No one wants to get extra vaccinations or do a PCR test to travel to Japan!

14 ( +29 / -15 )

Japan aims to revive inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2025

Sorry, but I don't think they'll come close to it by that time.

The government will maintain its existing goal of an annual 60 million foreign visitors by 2030.

Maintain the goal all you want. Achieving it on the other hand is a different story altogether.

Japan certainly has a "Love & Hate" attitude to foreigners, sorry, tourists!

very true, although I'd say ALOT more of the latter and very little of the former.

-22 ( +10 / -32 )

The government seems to magically think they can conjure up millions of tourists to help bring money into Japan without very little substance to their plan. While on the other hand, they place hurdles for people to travel here such as the vaccination requirement and registration with Visit Japan Website.

0 ( +16 / -16 )

Something about this country and the term realistic and achievable goals.

More blah blah to earn more votes.

With a war still going on and threatening to escalate, an economic slowdown on most parts of the world, a pandemic still going around and the fact that flight tickets are sky high and air connection with west is still very difficult I wonder ...... Who comes up with these ideas and where do they base them.

But that always the story I guess ..... Whatever makes people happy !!!

3 ( +13 / -10 )

Tourism destination depends on the market and what is the trend at the time. Hawaii use to be the number one tourist destination then Bali, then Maldives, etc... Japan nor any country can control the hot spots to visit. Sure, you can advertise and make Yahoo video, but it comes down to where the rich want to go with their money.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

China amid the Covid Cultural Revolution won't be a big prospect for Japan's inbound economy. Capital flights can be hosted here, though. China will continue to be risky. Diversify target groups.

A cheap yen discourages Japanese tourists from going overseas. They will instead travel domestically as such behavior is already emerging.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

It all depends on China’s own domestic Covid policy. Without Chinese tourists being able to travel like pre-pandemic times, Japan will never get to this new target. In 2019, 37% of Japan’s tourists came from China and Hong Kong. It’ll be difficult to replace 11.89 million tourists from somewhere else

4 ( +7 / -3 )

The government seems to magically think they can conjure up millions of tourists to help bring money into Japan without very little substance to their plan

That's pretty much been the LDP's textbook approach to ALL problems Japan faces.

-8 ( +10 / -18 )

This info site may help you get more updates.

Japan Tourism Statistics

https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I thought hotels don’t have enough of their low paid staff?

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

Counting on tourism is way easier than doing things that might improve life for the JAPANESE people who live here, like raising wages perhaps.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

Return flights from UK for a family of 4 is £5000. This is a big issue for me.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japan aims to revive inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2025

Won't happen. Interest in Japan as a travel destination already peaked.

On the plus side right now, ticket prices to Japan are kind of cheap.

Can scoop up US$560 non-stop economy seats from Montreal right now.

-13 ( +2 / -15 )

On the plus side right now, ticket prices to Japan are kind of cheap.

Can scoop up US$560 non-stop economy seats from Montreal right now.

No you can't. Cheapest you can get right now is around 250,000 JPY.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Welcome back to Japan.

Enjoy the lovely nature and breath the fresh air of the mountains and seaside. Cone and see the pretty women and cute children with their smiling faces.

Oh. Wait...,

-5 ( +9 / -14 )

Welcome back to Japan.

Enjoy the lovely nature and breath the fresh air of the mountains and seaside. Cone and see the pretty women and cute children with their smiling faces.

Oh. Wait..

My credit cards are maxed out and my bank account is empty.

It was a nice dream.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Japan aims to revive inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2025

A pipe dream. The west is broke and using credit cards to buy milk.

Britons turn to credit cards and loans to cover basics as cost of living crisis bites

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/06/britons-turn-to-credit-cards-and-loans-to-cover-basics-as-cost-of-living-crisis-bites

If you dont have money to buy bread. You dont have money to buy Sushi on the Ginza.

Someone cant handle the truth.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Japan would need the Chinese to get anywhere near these targets.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Ticket R/T from California USA are now around $1000, which some cheapies as low as $800. That seems pretty cheap considering higher fuels prices and inflation - the same prices as 2019.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The cheapest ticket for me to return home for Xmas is around 1,500 pounds and rising. That is also with these ridiculous waiting times between connections. That is not going to happen.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Should things heat up around Taiwan, except the above 50% of the figure to drop like a stone. Anybody with a functioning brain working / having worked in the industry now knows thanks to COVID how fickle the industry is and will not join / re-join or plainly leave the industry as soon as they can.

That's an excellent point

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

Japan desperately needs tourists back, given how tourism is one of two pillars of Japanese economy, the other being finance. Japan's auto industry is dying and will be moribund by 2040 when developed world fully transition to EVs, there is no market for Japanese gasoline fueled cars and SUVs.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/07/business/ev-shift-japan-auto-industry/

Collapsing pyramid: EV shift strikes at heart of Japan’s auto sector

In turn, this shift could represent a serious problem for Japan, as the auto industry is a backbone of the economy.

@REDWhiteBlue

Japan does not foreigner tourists. It needs Japanese to spend money.

Japanese don't have the money to spend. Foreign tourists do, particularly the Chinese and the Koreans who made up 60% of foreign tourists.

Although I doubt the Chinese would be back, because China is scheduled to impose a massive economic sanctions against Japan for the US deployment of intermediate range missiles in Iwakuni in 2025, China's promising three times its THAAD retaliations against Korea.

@painkiller

Interest in Japan as a travel destination already peaked.

That's not the case; Japan is a very competitive low-cost tourist destination thanks to low yen, as cost competitive as Thailand now and it will get even more cheaper in the future as yen further collapses thanks to Japanese government's unfundable soaring debt.

-14 ( +4 / -18 )

@Samit Basu - 19.5%~20% of Japan's GDP is from (value-added) manufacturing since 2015, very stable. Financial services, including domestic insurace, amount to no more than %6.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Set a target date by which time no one will remember this dumb plan

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

as well as how to address "tourism pollution" issues that accompanied the rapid increase of foreign visitors before the pandemic, such as congestion on public transportation and littering.

It's not their fault there isn't a trash bin in sight

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Please no

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Mmmm Thailand, great beaches great food, decriminalised weed, Japan concrete beaches, rules, regulations for everything, Towns and cities that look the same, It’s a tough choice where I want to holiday.

-6 ( +11 / -17 )

Over the last 18 years I've been here, does it look to me like the J-gov is looking at spreadsheets and whatever best case scenario / trend they had in the past (or were "close enough" to have) to roll out policies that can only be euphemistically described as "wishful thinking" or, in the worse case, "completely mental"!

I agree 100%. The J-gov always cherry-picks the best case scenario in order to make things seem better than they are under their leadership. One such thing is the population decline. The timeline that they give for when the population will dip under 100 million is far too optimistic. But that's how they operate. They know the decline is much worse than they are letting on. Same with the situation here. Getting to prepandemic levels in just 3 years is an absolute joke. This is especially since that like many have already pointed out they've put all their eggs in one basket- China, and with their 0 covid policy, I don't see Chinese tourism rebounding anytime soon.

What Japan desperately needs is to sunset the useless rabble sitting idle in parliament and getting in people with functioning brains.

I agree. However, the fundamental problem with allowing that to happen is that it would cast a spotlight on the incompetence of the entirety of the LDP, and they are not about to let that happen.

-14 ( +3 / -17 )

As Axel says, the main demand is from East Asia. China is currently still locked down.

the agency has also proposed promoting travel outside of metropolitan areas by highlighting historical and natural attractions offered by each region.

Only certain people are interested in sightseeing at historical sites. Japan has natural attractions worthy of visiting from overseas, mostly mountains given the mass concreting of the coastline, but most of them are very hard to reach by public transport. The above quote is not talking about places with mass appeal. Japan has lots of run down onsen, sea, and mountain resorts because Japanese people themselves don't find them appealing.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Mmmm Thailand, great beaches great food, decriminalised weed, Japan concrete beaches, rules, regulations for everything, Towns and cities that look the same, It’s a tough choice where I want to holiday.

That is an excellent point. From what I've heard, there are ALOT of westerners travelling to southeast asia, and it seems that SEA just siphons potential tourists from Japan. Japan then decided to put its tourism eggs in the China basket and that proved to be a mistake- although no one here could have realistically seen covid coming, in all fairness.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

It will not be too difficult. People around me, and myself included, are so happy that they can finally visit Japan.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I think by 2025 China will have ditched the lockdowns so a much bigger inflow is certainly possible, esp w/ such pent up demand by them and the weak yen.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The more the merrier I say. Hoping foreign tourists get up to 3 million per month soon. Looking at my Facebook feed, with countless adverts encouraging people to come back to Japan, there is unbelievable interest in Japan.

Japan is pretty much now on the entire world's bucket list - price dependent of course! Prices will hopefully come down soon.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Japan's LDP government could achieve nothing during about decade, only destroyed democracy and life of general people.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

@painkiller: Interest in Japan has already peaked? Mate - you haven't got A clue.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Chinese tourists come to Japan through Chinese tour agencies and then board Vans with Chinese drivers. Go to tourist places guided by Chinese guides.

They buy Made in China goods and leave Japan on Chinese airlines.

Tell me who gains from this?

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Mmmm Thailand, great beaches great food, decriminalised weed, Japan concrete beaches, rules, regulations for everything, Towns and cities that look the same, It’s a tough choice where I want to holiday.

The key word there is "I". Plenty of people do like Japan, it is silly to talk as if the country has no appeal. For food, Japan almost certainly beats Thailand. Get yourself to yakiniku or yakitori if you've forgotten how good food here is. Lots of folks not are interested in lying on a beach or smoking dope.

Tourism destination depends on the market and what is the trend at the time. Hawaii use to be the number one tourist destination then Bali, then Maldives, etc... Japan nor any country can control the hot spots to visit. Sure, you can advertise and make Yahoo video, but it comes down to where the rich want to go with their money.

This is very true. Tourism to Japan is a rare success story but has been driven by trends and the private sector. All Japanese politicians are doing is trying to take the credit. Their targets are silly, because it wasn't them who got the numbers up in the first place. Government projects like Cool Japan and NHK World are mostly cringeworthy and ineffectual compared to bloggers and Youtubers.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Can only comment on what I feel. Not really a problem other people feel different. It’s a comment section after all. I don’t like yakiniku or yakitori, I’m not a food person, best hamburgers I’ve had were in Thailand. Nicest weather too. That’s just me, some people like humidity and heat, shouldn’t judge me because of my stunning looks?

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

I live near Asakusa, I was discharged from the hospital yesterday so the family went out for dinner at a friend's restaurant in Asakusa. (Mini celebration I guess)

Monday night and the place was full of tourists.

A mixture of western and Asian (most Asians I could tell were from either Malaysia and Indonesia)

At my friend's restaurant/bar we talked to several different groups they came from places like Germany, France and Spain all just tourists.

My daughter struck up a conversation with a young Malay woman about the same age who was a big fan of anime.

Today my daughter was meeting up with the young woman and her friends to hit Akihabara and go shopping and yes go to a "host cafe" (the guy version of maid cafe).

So looks like people are coming and willing to spend airfare and buy stuff here.

I hope to soon reopen my business to clients once I get the all clear to work from my doctor.

I get inquiries daily as to when I will open again from people planing trips to Japan.

So as far as I can see things are looking up.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Domestic travel is far too expensive in Japan for most travellers too unless they are part of a tour group.

Reducing domestic travel costs including bullet train tickets dramatically would make Japan a much more attractive holiday destination for Europeans and Americans.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Mmmm Thailand, great beaches great food, decriminalised weed, Japan concrete beaches, rules, regulations for everything, Towns and cities that look the same, It’s a tough choice where I want to holiday.

I lived thereany years ago for work, have friends that still live there.

Great place IF you don't mind being constantly on your toes and suspicious of everything, every drink, every local that befriends you.

Young backpacking Thailand is great!

Older, married couple, with children, want a beautiful relaxing quiet trip, then better off in Japan.

Yes sure there are scams, tourist traps and criminals, but I would say ten times fewer than Thailand (if not a lot more times fewer).

Let's face it Japan is the safe destination in Asia.

1 ( +10 / -9 )

few facts why this may not happen anytime soon.

to come to Japan you msut come by airplane/most cases/.have a quick look at some airplane ticket selling sites.prices are very very high.if someone wants to come to Japan must invest first a lot of money ust to buy tickets.next step need invest money in some tests.and yes still did not leave home country yet.than if lucky and arrives here,will be shocked by masked country and rules for this and for that.

if Japan wants to atract any new tourisst needs to abolish own covid rules first and let people to travel freely without restrictions.than airlines have to lower prices for tickets-major factor at this very moment.

than Japan can start dreaming about tourism.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

https://worldeconomics.com/Debt/

Japan has the highest debt to GDP ratio in the world at 240% ! They need every penny they can get! With an aging population and a entrenched corrupt Govt that has nothing else in its quiver except printing money to Band-Aid over problems… things are going to go from bad to worse!

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

And when do they aim to have the population go back to pre-COVID mask wearing?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

tokyo_m

Today 02:41 pm JST

You need new friends and acquaintances.

Before covid I knew literally a few hundred people that came back to Japan regularly each year or two.

From South Korea to the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany France, etc...

I am in regular contact with most still as they prepare for the normalcy to return again.

And for those thinking I am exaggerating, I met most through my business preserving antiques and repairing Japanese antiques and crafts, only for them to become regular visitors and to introduce more people to Japan.

That 40, 50 year old couple that has a higher disposable income isn't heading to Thailand every year to deal with drunk students and backpackers.

But visiting a different region of Japan every year or two in nice onsen ryokan is probably more their pace.

Give me 2 middle or retired aged couples over 20 loud drunk backpackers any day, the tourist dollars from those 2 couples is probably fat higher than the 20 backpackers.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

> Sanjinosebleed

Today 02:56 pm JST

https://worldeconomics.com/Debt/

> Japan has the highest debt to GDP ratio in the world at 240% ! They need every penny they can get! With an aging population and a entrenched corrupt Govt that has nothing else in its quiver except printing money to Band-Aid over problems… things are going to go from bad to worse!

A great example of statistics and not understand them.

Go look around, there is a great big difference between Japan's debt and the rest.

Namely Japan's debt is basically owed domestically and very little is international.

Basically unlike the USA and others Japan will never be in a situation to default of payments to the international community because it barely owes them anything.

The only people that would be affected are the Japanese public and Japanese financial institutions in the worst case scenario.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

ycgdude

Today 03:01 pm JST

And when do they aim to have the population go back to pre-COVID mask wearing?

Last night in Asakusa I would say nearly half the people under 30 were not wearing masks.

No one in the bars had masks.

I think more and more youth are ignoring the no mask rules and the businesses are in no mood to fight anymore.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Finding tickets for good prices but also finding long-haul no stopover flights. I can no longer deal with long-haul stopovers.

The tourists will return in numbers when the airlines sort themselves out. In the future, people will respect tourists more because they now know what it is like not to have them.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

SanjinosebleedToday  02:56 pm JST

https://worldeconomics.com/Debt/

Japan has the highest debt to GDP ratio in the world at 240% ! They need every penny they can get! With an aging population and a entrenched corrupt Govt that has nothing else in its quiver except printing money to Band-Aid over problems… things are going to go from bad to worse!

Japan has debt because he is always invited by our Big Boss to pay the bills the UN, WHO, ODA... finance our Big Boss wars like Kuwait, Ukraine, Bosnia... sign "Free Trade Agreements", lol... while Japanese cities don't even have the money to pay contractors to build underground electrical power cables... Great great partner...

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

And more importantly, Thailand gets the return trips. People go back to Thailand again and again for those wonderful beaches and the beautiful laid-back people.

On the other hand they come to Japan with dreams of snow-capped Mount Fuji and anime-style cherry blossoms, and what they actually get is rules, regulations, do this, don't do this, no there's nowhere for you to sit down, no you can't that that here, no we can't go off the menu, no we don't provide that, no, no, no, but we will tell you how "omotenashi" we are, look at the view just ignore the concrete and the plastic and the noise and the looks. Few western tourists return for more of the same.

BEST post on this thread so far! NAILED IT! Well done tokyo_m!

-9 ( +9 / -18 )

Quality over quantity.

Tourists coming to Japan spend on average $150 to 200 per day on top of accommodation.

As those going to Thailand spend on average $130 to $150 per day including accommodation.

Like I said kid backpackers vs adults

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

RareReasonToday  09:07 am JST

No you can't. Cheapest you can get right now is around 250,000 JPY.

Yes you can.

I just checked this moment. $591.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

You can do a PCR test pre-flight, which is actually more meaningful than taking an ineffective vaccine,

Sure as I watch my wife jump through hoops trying to book PCR test for traveling company executives that didn't get vaccinated.

Every destination becomes a challenge to book a test that is acceptable in each different place.

These executives are now regretting not getting vaccinated and are now booking vacation because it is a nightmare getting PCR test

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Vietnam and Japan are the only destinations for us unvaccinated. If you want to go further, Australia. Most Asian countries you must have at least three shots. I wanna go to Aussie, but flights are expensive and hard to find. Cheap ones take 26-34 hours. Usually about 8-10 hours.

problem is returning to Japan. The government can quickly change entry requirements in day in influenza season and Covid overwhelm the health system. Reentry may be difficult.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

BobToday  04:14 pm JST

I paid $4000 for my flight tickets. I won't cope with those prices forever either. If you want to boost tourism, re-enact pre-COVID flight routes and stop letting airlines make a bargain.

Prices are very high on certain dates, but one-way nonstop Tokyo to LAX flights for around $288 are available this month, while traveling the same day but different times, prices can be $1200 and up.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@painkiller - Happy to believe you, but would like to know what dates you searched for.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

RodneyToday 04:28 pm JST

Vietnam and Japan are the only destinations for us unvaccinated. If you want to go further, Australia. Most Asian countries you must have at least three shots. I wanna go to Aussie, but flights are expensive and hard to find. Cheap ones take 26-34 hours. Usually about 8-10 hours.

problem is returning to Japan. The government can quickly change entry requirements in day in influenza season and Covid overwhelm the health system. Reentry may be difficult.

Exactly.This year travel in Japan only.Travel anywhere abroad still high risk for reasons cited by you.Japan have many nice places worth to see and visit.As my family we will wait more until situation worldwide will normalize and we will be able to travel as free as before.Until than-ikanai.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

@Rodney: Japan have always given several days notice to changes in incoming policy. Don't be so dramatic.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

theResidentToday  04:30 pm JST

@painkiller - Happy to believe you, but would like to know what dates you searched for.

Always my pleasure to assist a cordial fellow foreign resident in this land:

Montreal to Tokyo; one way, non-stop Air Canada- $561--November 19--Delta had one stop Montreal to Tokyo about the same price.

Narita to LAX; one way, United $288 ---Nov. 25

I jumped on Kayak, and some other sites and just threw in those random dates. Now, depending where you are going, leaving after December 14 and returning to Japan first week of January can be $2-4,000 roundtrip.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If I may: "tourism pollution" issues . . . such as . . . littering."

Solution: Return the trash cans/bins/gomibakko as before the 1990's gas attack by Aum. Enough time has passed. Bins are an obligation of the government! Their lack is just ridiculous.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

AntiquesavingToday  03:08 pm JST

A great example of statistics and not understand them.

Geez talk about pot meet kettle!

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Of course Japan can do it and even surpass it..

It doesn't matter if the whiners think otherwise..

GO JAPAN!!..

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

We got 2 years of the media trumpeting us that tourism isn't important, and closing borders was the right thing to do.

Now the tourism is our only hope to save the economy.

Opposed messages just few months apart.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I would love to visit and stay for A few months. Not until all COVID restrictions are lifted.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Vietnam and Japan are the only destinations for us unvaccinated. If you want to go further, Australia

Philippines has also dropped their 'vaccine' requirements for entry. So called unvaccinated can get a PCR test either beforehand or on arrival. (If positive on arrival there maybe quarantine requirements)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Michael Machida I totally agree but from what I hear from my "RICH super RICH" friends they don't want to go where average people go!!!!

Tourism destination depends on the market and what is the trend at the time. Hawaii use to be the number one tourist destination then Bali, then Maldives, etc... Japan nor any country can control the hot spots to visit. Sure, you can advertise and make Yahoo video, but it comes down to where the rich want to go with their money.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Udondashi I think what you wrote is very contradicting

Why would the Chinese make cheap goods in China, and go on to travel to Japan where they can buy it at a higher price than where it was made China?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

South Korea is the next tourist destination spot!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Japan is probably on number of my list of destiny to travel to visit on a vacation , but i will only take action when i figure out to cover the travelling expenses plus like 15k usd to spend like in 3 weeks. Other than that i will just pass.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The article above this one reads "Japan reports 81,401 new coronavirus cases." This should worry would-be foreign and Japanese about becoming tourists in Japan or anywhere else. If you can believe what the Japanese press is saying you need to admit that the pandemic is still on and all of us need to watch out.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If you do not have the infrastructure in place, you are asking for big & ongoing problems.

For instance, New Zealand. Please stay away for now.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Again a panel of "non experts" trying to convince themself and forgetting the importante of chinese tourists and geopolitic matters such as Taiwan, Russie etc...basic example, direct flight ticket for europe before covid 120 000 yens, after 300 000yens!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Mmmm Thailand, great beaches great food, decriminalised weed, Japan concrete beaches, rules, regulations for everything, Towns and cities that look the same, It’s a tough choice where I want to holiday.

Haha. I don't completely agree, but can see where you're coming from.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a huge mistake! Anyone who was living in Japan before the pandemic hit will testify that the number of tourists was out of completely out of control! Japan did not look like Japan and citizens were doing a slow boil over the lack of access to daily services. Kyoto Station looked like Universal Studios! Sometimes more is not better.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I’m here for four weeks with my wife and child to visit the family.

From the perspective of a tourist from the UK, I’m simply fed up with the mask wearing. It’s driving me potty wearing one alone in the middle of nowhere. Every time I take it off, which I’m allowed to do, a Japanese appears from nowhere and glares at me. I’ve seen people wearing them in the most ridiculous situations. A couple with a baby in a pram, playing badminton in a quiet park, at least fifty yards from anyone, on a hot sunny day.

It might not put people off coming at the moment, but I doubt it will help people go back home and sell a trip to Japan to friends.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And from what I understand, it will continue for a very long time as I’m told that even though the government say you don’t need to wear one outdoors, nobody (Japanese) is prepared to be the first to take theirs off.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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