Over 2 mil people used Japan's travel subsidy campaign in 1st month

Good

It seems a small number considering the obon holidays.

Go to campaign may have had the opposite effect by directing attention on travel and making people consider if it's appropriate in light of the pandemic

..does not take into account people taking more than lne trip "

Wonder how they count them...

I used a different hotel each day of my two 4-night and 3-night trips on both long weekend in July and obon in August.

Go to Travel in a ‘pandemic’

This will be in the history books...

Well at least somebody is enjoying my hard earned tax money. You don't need to thank me. Tokyo resident so we pay you play.

One thing I noticed missing from the evening news this years was U-Turn traffic reports. Or did I just watch the wrong stations?

They shouldn't have been in a rush and brought the campaign forward. The idea of supporting tourism, if not necessary big players like JTB, was a good one, but the execution has been hamfisted.

Under the 1.35 trillion yen ($12.7 billion) tourism push, the government will eventually subsidize up to half of a person's travel expenses, including accommodation and transport fees. Initially, it provides discounts worth 35 percent of total costs.

The remaining 15 percent will be covered by coupons to be issued after September for food, shopping and other travel activities offered at destinations.

Why is this false mathematical claim constantly repeated in any article about the Go To Travel discount?

The first 35% is for accommodation and transport.

The other 15% is for food, shopping, and activities.

These are DIFFERENT EXPENSES and don't magically add up to 50%.

Example:

10,000 for hotel = 3500 discount, and 6500 out of pocket.

10,000 for shopping/activity = 1500 discount, and 8500 out of pocket.

So fee total is 20,000. Discount would be 5000, and out of pocket is 15,000.

That is 25%, not "up to half of a person's travel expenses". Did those who write these articles fail 3rd grade math?

only about half of the eligible lodging operators, have registered with the program as of Thursday, with some of them shying away from registration due to the complex process to claim benefits and the problems of informing travel associations 

This sounds typical, make it difficult for actual operators to benefit from the scheme, other than the larger companies who can afford the time and have staff to do this.

"There are 9 million people working in the tourism (industry) and we can say that (the industry) is dying,"

This is very sad.

I hope that people inside Japan start to travel again, with continue their best personal prevention against the Virus.

I am not a fan to open the borders for international travelers from abroad, before a vaccine is found, but I think with good and safe "Virus Prevention" at the Borders Entry (Narita, Haneda...) , it might be possible little by little.

How do you apply for this? Is there a bunch of form-filling?

I'm not planning to use it but I am curious. I know someone who travelled by Shinkansen recently, and they expected that discount that was promised last month, but nobody at the counter seemed to know anything about it.

Well it seems not to be a case of if you get it but when will you get it.

As I am at risk of death if I get covid-19 due to a hereditary condition and I still must work to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. I am in fear for my life everyday I go to work and this kill all travel discount is something I fear will cause my end.

Good that people are escaping the fear mongering in cities

“. I am in fear for my life everyday I go to work and this kill all travel discount is something I fear will cause my end.”

And the hundreds of other harmful things we Encounter every day?

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said there have been 10 reported cases of infections at hotels and other lodging facilities registered with the Go To travel campaign, which was launched on July 22.

Fantastic, only 10 cases.

Nothing to fear, I am leaving my bunker and enjoy Japan.

I used it once already. Hotel was 8500 instead of normal 13,500 or so. Accommodations and two meals. Not bad, not great.

Have paid for another trip in October. Will stay 7 nights, beachfront in Okinawa, all meals included, beachfront room, 120,000. Pretty happy with that.

Used it 5 times and using again in a weeks time.

brilliant idea. Hotels are very clean. Spacing in public areas and restaurant s. Local communities are thankful for business. It is a win win.

Under the 1.35 trillion yen ($12.7 billion) tourism push, the government will eventually subsidize up to half of a person's travel expenses, including accommodation and transport fees. 

Sloppy reporting again, the article should have stated public transport.

Tolls are not covered if you travel in your own car. transport fees?

I am not a fan to open the borders for international travelers from abroad, before a vaccine is found

Yea, the virus is under control here and only prevalent abroad. I need that kool-aid.

Used three times already

Super easy used once with jtb , the discount was instant.

Second,third time 35% was deducted at check outside.

If your unsure call the hotel directly.

Or check gonavi.com for participating hotels.

Also if you travel local its possible to enjoy 50% off local government discount plus 35% off go to discount

As a Tokyo resident I can only hope the campaign will open up for us when the virus has been beat (if that ever happens). For now, it's all about staying home and hoarding my gold for future travels. Fingers crossed!

divinda I understand what you’re saying (and I’m no fan of this travel campaign in the midst of a global pandemic) but the discount is indeed closer to 50% if used correctly. The best way is to buy an all-inclusive package tour from a travel agent, then you get 35% discount off that price PLUS 15% in coupons.

eg if you buy a ¥20,000 package for 2 days and one night that includes your transport, meals, accommodation and an activity (as is common with Japanese package tours), you pay ¥20,000 * 65% = ¥13,000

then you receive an ADDITIONAL ¥20,000 * 15% in coupons = ¥3,000

So let’s say you use your coupons to buy omiyage - you paid ¥13,000 for a ¥20,000 holiday, and you got ¥3,000 worth of omiyage for free. So this adds up to a 50% discount.

Of course if you get a tour that doesn’t include meals, activity, or transport, then yes the percentage discount will be less - but the media are not wrong to say it can be “up to 50%.”

@P Smith

Would you like your 50 yen back?

Sure, so long as you pay your 40% subsidized travel fees, on the order of a couple of man. Thanks bud.

The first 35% is for accommodation and transport.

The other 15% is for food, shopping, and activities.

These are DIFFERENT EXPENSES and don't magically add up to 50%.

Yes, 35% of one thing and 15% off another is not 50% off! It's genuinely laughable. I think this is PR written by the government and reported word for word by the media. Lots of other media "reporting" is simply repeating the government or business spokesmen word for word, but we can read it for free online, so we are in effect getting what we pay for.

As mentioned above, if you can link Go To with local government discounts, you can have a very cheap stay.

To be honest, I think it would make more sense to give money directly to workers as UBI or seikatsu hogo, not giving it to JTB and expecting it to trickle down through middle men to people in 1000 yen an hour jobs.

with some of them shying away from registration due to the complex process to claim benefits and the problems of informing travel associations and other parties of the number of guests they have received

Typical Japan! Announce a programme, but make it too complicated to actually use.

How about putting the onus on the traveller?

1) Book a holiday

2) Get the receipts

3) After, get the traveler to log into a website and fill in bank details with a photo/scan of the qualifying receipts.

4) Get reimbursed the correct amount by furikomi.

The poor lodge owners and tourism operators have enough to worry about without all this paperwork.

Japan is giving subsidy to 2 million people in the tourist industry.

Australia's tourism industry loses about $4.0 billion in first 3 months.

Doubtlessly, billions of dollars have been lost in tourism so far this year. Europe is badly hit, even much worse, to extreme negative. It is beyond control, simply unavoidable..

Tolls are not covered if you travel in your own car. transport fees?

japan has really good transport infrastructure. Train companies are really suffering.

I am about to lose my job since i work at an airport... and the dinosaur in place thinks we should keep the ban going on, what are they planning for us?

The Japanese language media is reporting that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport has recored 4.2 million people using the campaign.

政府による観光の振興策「ＧｏＴｏトラベル」キャンペーンについて、これまでに、のべ４２０万人がこの制度を利用して宿泊したことを国土交通省が明らかにしました。

Yet, I, and everyone i’ve talked to, says any ONE person using this service is beyond selfish. We are IN a pandemic!

Mass tourism is over. That is a good thing. The planet simply could not take it! No way was it sustainable. Work in the tourist industry? Rethink, reinvent, repurpose yourself ASAP.

“We are IN a pandemic!”

Not really

Yet, I, and everyone i’ve talked to, says any ONE person using this service is beyond selfish. We are IN a pandemic!

Neither I or anyone I talked to thinks that way. Even my mother-in-law who is high-risk (diabetes) used it, albeit a secluded ryokan with no lobby, etc.

Considering there is no more state of emergency (news flash!), you are being more selfish by staying home and hurting the lives of those working in the travel industry.

'some of them shying away from registration due to the complex process to claim benefits', it says it all really why do governments make it so impossible for people to get this financial help?

If you can take advantage of it, do it. My family and I are currently in Shikoku enjoying the countryside at a ryokan. Get on to Yahoo or Rakuten travel. So easy to get the discount.

It sure is the “Go To Hospital” Campaign