Japan Temporarily Suspends 'Go To Travel' Program Amid COVID-19 Surge (Update)

Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister of Japan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Japanese government has decided to temporarily suspend the travel support program 'Go to Travel' in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to NHK and others on the 14th, the Japanese government held a COVID-19 task force meeting in the afternoon and decided to temporarily suspend 'Go to Travel' nationwide from the 28th of this month until January 11 of next year. In severely affected areas such as Tokyo and Nagoya, support will be suspended immediately from the 16th.

'Go to Travel' is a policy in which the government supports up to half of the travel expenses for domestic travelers, aiming to promote both economic revitalization and quarantine measures simultaneously. It was gradually launched from late July. The allocated budget totals 1.35 trillion yen (approximately 140 trillion won).