A total of 40 out of Japan's 47 prefectures have plans to introduce their own discount program for tourism, which is seen as a key to reviving local economies that have been hit hard by the outbreak of the new coronavirus, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.
For the time being, 30 prefectural governments will limit the use of such discounts to its own residents, to be used for sightseeing and lodging within the prefecture, as they clarify efforts to first get local economies back on their feet.
On June 1, the central government lifted its request for self-restraint on cross-prefectural movement, with the exception of Tokyo, Hokkaido and Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures. From Friday, the guidelines will be further relaxed to include travel for tourism.
For the time being, each prefectureal government will focus on tourism limited to prefectural residents in order to achieve a balance between curbing a further spread of infections and rebuilding local economies.
Ishikawa Prefecture, which has seen a drastic reduction in domestic and overseas tourists, plans to subsidize up to half the price of overnight trips (maximum 15,000 yen), limited to residents and accommodation facilities within the prefecture. Travel agencies in the prefecture started making bookings on June 8.
The Fukushima prefectural government launched a program to provide 5,000 yen each to its residents for stays at hotels and inns in the prefecture priced 7,000 yen or higher. Through Thursday, 25,000 stays have been sold, and funds for an additional 145,000 nights has been earmarked in the supplementary budget.
Starting in July, Nara Prefecture will offer residents a discount of up to 70% (maximum 10,000 yen) off overnight stays and dining at hotels and other facilities within the prefecture. According to an association of hotels and inns in the prefecture, its members took a hit of more than 2 billion yen from cancellations of school excursions, group tours and other tourists.
Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama, as well as Kagawa, Saga and Kumamoto prefectures, have yet to announce whether they will offer discount programs for tourism.
Many local governments are planning to roll out tourism support measures in coordination with future projects that the national government will implement to stimulate demand in the tourism and restaurant sectors.
"The more rural an area is, the more the local economy depends on its tourism industry, and the deterioration of local economies is becoming increasingly serious," said Prof. Takao Ikado of the Takasaki City University of Economics, an expert on tourism management studies. "To fix the situation, drastic measures are needed, and, while taking sufficient measures against the spread of infections, discounts and other programs should actively promoted."
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