Japan to reopen for tourists from October

Japan, one of the world's last major holdouts during the pandemic, is dissolving its Covid-19 restrictions and opening the door back up to mass tourism.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said individual travel and visa-free entry would resume from October 11 as the world’s third-largest economy seeks to reconnect with the world.

Beloved for its unique mix of vibrant urban culture and natural beauty, the country is lifting its tight regulations on foreign tourists, according to a tweet Thursday from Taro Kono, Japan's minister of digital affairs.
“We are a nation that has flourished through the free flow of people, goods and capital,” Kishida, who is in the United States for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said on Thursday.

“COVID-19, of course, interrupted all of these benefits, but from October 11, Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US, as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel.”

The move marks out Japan as one of the last economies to restart large-scale tourism and travel, with only China yet to announce plans to lift its strict border controls.

Under a partial easing of restrictions in place since June, Japan only allows tourists on packaged tours and has a cap on daily arrivals, currently set at 50,000. Travellers to the country must also apply for a visa.

Elaborating on the lifting of restrictions, Kishida said that "on the same day, we plan to launch a campaign to offer domestic travel discounts and event discounts to residents of Japan and hope that many citizens will take advantage of the offer to support the hotel, travel and entertainment sectors that have suffered enormous blows during the pandemic."

The move marks a major policy shift after nearly 2 1/2 years of strict Covid-19 restrictions on who could enter the country and under what circumstances.

(Agencies)