The Japanese government has announced a plan to incentivise domestic tourism by offering financial aid for locals to travel when the coronavirus subsides.
The Japan Tourism Agency, an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, will be running a JPY1.35 trillion (USD12.5 billion) programme aimed at reinvigorating Japan’s tourism industry.
According to a member of the agency, the state-run Go to Travel Campaign will offer a 50% discount off air, sea, and land transport, and halve the costs of overnight stays. Details on the implementation have yet to be set. The launch and phased rollouts are expected to be slow, and dependent on the coronavirus situation in each prefecture.
The coronavirus situation will be closely monitored during the campaign with indications that the plans might first be made available for travel to nearby prefectures, followed by regions and, finally, nationwide. The campaign will be available through large and small travel companies.
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