Japan s decision to open its doors for foreign visitors on October 11 comes after more than two years of pandemic-induced restrictions.
Foreign visitors will be given more bang for their bucks thanks to the weak yen versus foreign currencies.
The current 50,000-person limit on daily entry into Japan will be eliminated, as well as the need for visas for short-term tourists. Individuals can plan their own trips to Japan without having to go through travel agencies.
Foreign tourists from 68 nations and regions, including the United States, will not need visas from Oct. 11 because of the visa requirement. The status will return to before the outbreak of COVID - 19.
Government officials are aiming to take advantage of the current weak yen to attract foreign tourists.
A negative COVID - 19 test result prior to departure is the only requirement that will remain in place for foreign tourists. The requirement will be waived if a visitor can prove they have received three COVID - 19 vaccines.
The government will finally implement its domestic tourism promotion measure on October 11. A subsidy of up to 8,000 yen $56 per night will apply to trips anywhere in Japan, up to 40 percent of the travel cost. The discount program was limited to destinations in the same or nearby prefectures until now.
The Go To Travel program was implemented in 2020 and is similar to the Go To Travel program. Government officials were hesitant to begin the new discount program while COVID 19 cases were increasing, learning a painful lesson from the Go To Travel program, which was criticized for leading to a surge in infections as people moved around the nation.
The travel discount program was announced in June but was delayed from the originally planned July date because COVID 19 cases remained high.
Domestic travelers should take longer trips to destinations that are closer to home, as a result of the new program, according to those in the travel industry.
Shinichi Inoue, President and CEO of All Nippon Airways Co., met with reporters on September 23 at Tokyo's Haneda Airport and said that the autumn colors season will begin mainly in Hokkaido, so the timing is very good for the start of the travel discount program.
The Japan Tourism Agency hopes to use up the 830 billion yen set aside for the program by the end of the year.