(New York) Japan will lift its entry restrictions for tourists put in place more than two years ago to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, Digital Minister Taro Kono announced on Twitter on Thursday.
Posted at 12:42 p.m.
“Finally, Japan will reopen its borders,” he said, ahead of an expected speech by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New York later in the day.
“The visa waiver is back,” he added, without specifying the date of entry into force or to how many countries the measure would apply.
The quota of daily arrivals in the country had been gradually increased since the beginning of the year and recently stood at 50,000.
The weakness of the yen, which has lost 20% of its value against the dollar since the start of the year, should make Japan even more attractive for many visitors.
And an inflow of foreign currency could help stem the fall of the national currency and give a boost to economic recovery.
In June, the Japanese government authorized the return of foreign tourists, but only as part of organized trips. This device had been lightened at the beginning of September to authorize individual stays, but still via a travel agency.
Fumio Kishida “took office a year ago knowing that the perception of clumsy handling of the pandemic had been a key factor in the loss of confidence of the Japanese public” in his predecessor Yoshihide Suga, recently recalled to AFP James Brady, specialist in Japanese policy at the Teneo cabinet.
So Mr. Kishida “was extremely careful not to repeat these same mistakes”, according to this observer.
Japan did not resort to confinements during the pandemic, but the wearing of masks, without being imposed by the authorities, continues to be extremely widespread there in public places and transport. The mortality rate attributable to the coronavirus has been relatively low there (less than 35 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants).
However, the archipelago should take time to regain its record level of 31.9 million foreign visitors welcomed in 2019 and comparable financial benefits (4800 billion yen that year, or nearly $45 billion at the current rate).
Because in Japan, “most of the economic fallout (from international tourism, editor’s note) pre-pandemic came from the masses of Chinese visitors, who spent a lot to bring home electronic and cosmetic products” Japanese, recalls Mr. Brady.
However, as the Chinese are still facing draconian restrictions in the face of COVID-19 at home, they should not be numerous to travel to Japan in the immediate future, while they represented (with Hong Kong) 37% of visitors. foreigners in Japan in 2019.
On the other hand, demand for tourists from other countries could be strong, even if that of Europeans is likely to be limited due to high inflation at home and the repercussions of the war in Ukraine on air transport costs, according to industry experts.