Japanese authorities announced plans to conduct “test tourism” initiatives this May before the full reopening of the country’s tourism in the post-pandemic period.
The announcement was made on Tuesday when authorities said that they plan to open limited package tours to people as a means to gather information about measures and countermeasures should the country open its doors to thousands of tourists soon.
Japan thrives on its tourism industry, raking in more than 30 million tourists and earning $49 billion in receipts in 2019 alone. However, when the government imposed the lockdown restrictions in 2020, the tourism revenue fell to $11 billion.
As an effort to revitalize the tourism industry in Japan, plans are underway. Regulations have been eased to allow business people and students to enter their borders. However, individual travelers are not yet admitted despite echoing calls from different industries to restart the country’s economy, which has seen a massive drop in the value of yen over the past months.
While dates are not specified yet, the Tourism Agency said that they would initiate small group tours this May. The groups will be used as “test cases” so authorities can assess and come up with possible practical ways that allow a maximum number of tourists while keeping them safe.
However, anyone can’t just partake in the test tours, says the agency in a statement. Only triple-vaccinated people from Australia, Thailand, Singapore, and the United States are admitted to the tours. In addition, the Japanese government will comprehensively plan the test tours together with travel agencies and conductors.
Further, the Travel Agency stated that the experiment will allow the agency “to verify compliance and emergency responses for infection prevention.” The program would also help them craft guidelines to travel agencies, transport companies, and accommodation sectors.
Earlier in May, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed the intention to time the easement of border controls the same as other ‘wealthy democracies’ in the world. However, no exact date has been indicated as to when the Japanese borders will open to tourists again.
The government of Japan plans gradual ease of borders depending on the status of the country amid new variants of COVID. Authorities say that their border measures should balance infection controls and ease of entry.
According to Makoto Shimoaraiso, Cabinet Secretariat official of Japan’s COVID-19 response, the task force and the government are currently crafting “concrete plans for border measures after June, including quarantine measures such as testing and standby.”
Authorities tell tourists and other industries to wait for the official announcement. For now, the government will focus on the test tours to fully prepare for the reopening of their borders.
