Japan Eases COVID-19 Controls But Tourism Surge Doubtful

Japan's relaxed border measures from Wednesday, including raising a daily cap on arrivals from 20,000 to 50,000, will not translate into a surge of tourists to gun its economy unless they are given greater freedom to travel in the country, industry officials say, Mainichi Japan reported.

Photo Insert: Travelers to Japan must apply for a visa, which takes five days to be issued in principle, and the fees for a single-entry visa are about 3,000 yen ($21).

They say that tourists will continue to bypass Japan for more welcoming countries despite a cheap yen as the government's decision to lower the entry bar remains restrictive, hampered by its continued caution over the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference last week that he wants Japan to "join the trend" as people start moving in other parts of the world.

Toward that end, a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure has been scrapped for the supposedly less burdensome proof of triple vaccinations. Tourists will also no longer have to be accompanied by guides.

The top five countries with the most people planning to visit Japan were South Korea, the United States, Thailand, Australia, and France, according to data released Aug. 26 by the Japan Tourism Agency.

A manager at major Japanese travel agency H.I.S. Co. expressed pleasure at eased restrictions for foreign visitors, with the added hope that if Southeast Asia flight routes reopen, more ticket sales will lead to greater profit.

But arrivals will be far below the daily average of more than 140,000 in 2019.

"It is difficult to project a surge in tourists if restrictions are not completely lifted on visas, the daily entry cap, and individual travels," a tourism industry official said. Japan continues to suspend its visa exemptions, in contrast to neighbor South Korea which recently extended its visa waiver for Japanese citizens until the end of October.

Travelers to Japan must apply for a visa, which takes five days to be issued in principle, and the fees for a single-entry visa are about 3,000 yen ($21).

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