Japan Tourism Agency Urging Japanese People To Travel Abroad

Above, Narita Airport Arrival Lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign nationals are coming to Japan in higher numbers than Japanese traveling abroad.

The Japan Tourism Agency is trying to correct this. They, along with the Japan Association of Travel Agents, are urging people to travel abroad.

Kyodo News reported:

The Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan Association of Travel Agents on Wednesday urged people to take trips abroad in a bid to boost the airline and tourism industry, as demand for international travel struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the number of visitors to Japan has grown steadily since border restrictions were eased last year, infection concerns and the weak yen are believed to be putting Japanese nationals off traveling abroad.

The number of Japanese people who left the country in March totaled 694,300, just 36.0 percent compared to March 2019 before the pandemic, according to government data.

Foreign arrivals to Japan, in contrast, have recovered to 65.8 percent of the level in March 2019.

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Travel To Japan "Soon" In Summer?

Above, we may be able to visit Godzilla at Toho Studios again. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

KHON2 News, a Honolulu-based station, reports that there are indications that travel to Japan may be coming "soon", perhaps this summer.

Right now, only business and student travel to Japan is allowed, and that's limited.

Acccording to KHON2:

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii Tourism Japan (HTJ) said the Japan Association of Travel Agents is sending its first delegation to the islands. The visit may come with some good news for locals whose sights are set on Japan.

HTJ said Japan is currently open for travel, but for those who have a visa or are an exchange student. That could change soon.

“The Japan government and the Japan travel industry is telling us that those restrictions for tourism reasons from the U.S. should be eased as well and so that’s where we’re looking at probably sometime in the summer when Hawaii residents are able to travel back to Japan.”    

- ERIC TAKAHATA OF HAWAII TOURISM JAPAN.

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