Japan tourism is criticized for allowing stars to enter

Test Japan tour canceled because Thai tourist has Covid

Follow Washington post, famous people, they are considered safe and different from other foreign tourists, which are considered by Japan as a Covid-19 epidemic concern. To date, some business travelers, international students and foreign workers have been accepted by Japan, but many family members of foreign residents are not. Group tours will be accepted again this month, but not individually.

In May, entertainers from the US and Korea meet hundreds of fans to promote their products without quarantine. In the same month, about 50 tourists participated in the test run Japan travel and closely monitored every move.

This week, Japan canceled one of those test tours after a tourist from Thailand tested positive for Covid-19 and came into contact with three others. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that the target test runs to prepare for Japan’s acceptance of group tours from 98 countries starting from June 10. The trial ran into trouble in the Thai tour group that is not expected to change those reopening plans.

Japan’s persistent restrictions on foreigners are unsuitable for not only the group of seven major economies but also neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have fully resumed operations. Unlimited travel in the context of the epidemic subsides.

Pandemic shutdowns are still common in the country, with opponents likening it to Japan’s isolationist policy from the early 1600s to the 1850s. Corporate executives and the tourism industry in those days. In recent weeks, there has been increased public criticism, saying that Japan’s slow reopening is too cautious and detrimental to the economy and the country’s image in the world.

Om Prakash, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, said the country’s previous mass entry ban had “imposed economic and human costs”.

“It makes efforts to revive the economy, attract international students, and promote Japan as an investment and tourism destination,” he said. the reputation of Japan, it should be treated as a welcoming and open place.The government should move quickly to ease the existing entry restrictions, attract more tourists and let them enjoy the country. this wonderful freely”.

Japan Travel It’s still a problem

Covid-19 cases in Japan have been falling steadily since the peak earlier this year of the omicron variant. On June 1, there were 2,362 new cases in Tokyo, the city’s population is 14 million. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that as cases decrease, the government plans to implement measures to accept more foreigners.

He said some airports would resume international flights, but did not specify when the measures would take effect. Yesterday, Japan said it would accept short-term visas for many relatives and spouses of foreigners residing in Japan, although details are still unclear.

Follow Reuters, Many government officials remain wary that a full reopening of the country could lead to a new outbreak of the disease, although there is some doubt about the effectiveness of border controls in preventing the spread of the virus. stop the spread of the virus. Local officials worry about foreign visitors “having bad manners” who may not follow Japanese guidelines on wearing masks and disinfecting hands.

There are signs that pent-up tourism demand will provide much-needed revenue amid a plummeting yen’s value and rising inflation. Last week, Japanese tourism topped the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index for the first time, which measures the quality of a country’s tourism infrastructure.

However, these world-class amenities are largely unused, and travel-related spending by expats plummets from around $38 billion in 2019 to just under $1 billion in 2021. according to Nikkei Asia.

Keiko Tashiro, vice president of Japan’s second-largest brokerage, Daiwa Securities, said during a discussion at the World Economic Forum last week: “It’s frustrating. When I travel to the country. Outside, I see all economic activity in Europe and the United States operating, but Japan remains closed.”

Meanwhile, the massive appearance of foreign entertainers visiting Japan for red carpet events and fan gatherings has received much criticism online from casual tourists and celebrities alike. Family members cannot enter this country.