Japan to Launch Foreign Package Tours Next Spring

Reviewing Permission for Small-Scale Package Tours Next Spring
'Experimental Procedure' in Preparation for Tokyo Olympics Attracting Global Audiences

The Japanese government is considering allowing small-scale package tours for foreign tourists starting next spring. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Nahana] As foreign tourists to Japan have decreased by 99% due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the Japanese government is considering allowing small-scale package tours for foreign tourists in the spring of next year.

This is to verify the effectiveness of COVID-19 quarantine measures in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics in July next year and to recover the number of foreign tourists, which has declined by 99% for seven consecutive months.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 6th, the Japanese government announced at the Tourism Strategy Implementation Promotion Meeting held on the 3rd that it will implement policies to simultaneously manage COVID-19 quarantine and tourism demand recovery, and plans to allow small-scale dispersed package tours for foreign tourists in the spring of next year.

Earlier, Japan implemented entry bans on most countries worldwide since April, when COVID-19 began to spread in earnest, and still blocks the entry of foreign tourists.

The small-scale package tours to be conducted in the spring of next year will be recognized as exceptions to the entry ban measures. Priority will be given to Asian countries with relatively few COVID-19 cases, such as China and Taiwan.

The package tours for foreign tourists have a strong experimental nature to verify the effectiveness of quarantine measures. The media explained that Japan’s government plans to accept a certain number of foreign tourists to monitor the COVID-19 infection situation and then decide whether to allow visitors from around the world during the Tokyo Olympics and whether to permit general tourists after the Olympics.

Furthermore, the operation method of the package tours includes many measures to verify quarantine policies. Multiple package tours will be dispersed to various tourist destinations, and exceptional use of some public transportation such as the Shinkansen is being considered. According to the Asahi Shimbun, this is interpreted as an experimental procedure to verify the Japanese government’s policy to partially allow foreign visitors to use public transportation during the Tokyo Olympics.

The operation method is similar to the short-term entry for business purposes that Japan is already implementing. Business visitors to Japan are exempt from the two-week quarantine but must conduct their activities according to a pre-submitted schedule and locations.

Also, travel agencies will be responsible for health management such as temperature checks of tourists. Foreign tourists using the package tours must submit a negative COVID-19 test certificate and an activity plan before entering Japan and must enroll in private medical insurance. Use of public transportation during the travel period is prohibited. Additionally, movement routes at tourist sites and hotels will be separated from the general public.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors to Japan in October decreased by 99% compared to the same month last year for seven consecutive months. Expanding foreign tourism is one of the core policies of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s cabinet, which has set a goal of attracting 60 million foreign tourists by 2030.