Japanese Government Actively Encourages Travel Despite COVID-19 Spread

Experts Urge Caution at Meeting, but Abe Government Pushes Ahead with 'Go To Travel' Tourism Promotion Project

▲Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Amid the daily spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Japan, controversy has arisen as it has been revealed that the Japanese government pushed ahead with the tourism promotion project 'Go to Travel' despite cautious opinions raised at expert meetings.

Started on the 22nd of last month, Go to Travel is a project that subsidizes about 50% of domestic travel costs (up to 20,000 yen per night per trip).

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the same day, Shigeru Omi, chairman of the Japanese government's COVID-19 countermeasure expert meeting called the 'Subcommittee,' appeared before the House of Representatives Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Committee on the 29th of last month and stated, "I proposed to the government to take more time to decide on the launch of Go to Travel, but it was not adopted."

On the same day, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister in charge of COVID-19 countermeasures and Minister of Economic Revitalization, also acknowledged that he rejected Omi's proposal due to concerns about causing confusion.

At the Subcommittee meeting held on the 16th of last month, right after the Japanese government announced that travel departing from Tokyo, where COVID-19 was spreading prominently, would be excluded from the Go to Travel project support, the project was ultimately accepted.

The Abe Shinzo administration appears to have judged that the Go to Travel project should be launched early to support the tourism industry, which was hit hard by the spread of COVID-19.

However, since the launch of the Go to Travel project, Japan's daily new COVID-19 cases have continued to increase, strengthening calls to suspend the tourism promotion project.

The Sankei Shimbun, which usually maintains a tone favorable to the Abe administration, also argued in an editorial on the same day that the Go to Travel project should be suspended.

Sankei pointed out, "The government continues the 'Go to Travel' project, which is a measure to stimulate tourism demand," and criticized, "Even though local areas are rejecting it by saying 'Don't come,' the government is still recommending it."

It added, "It is difficult for the public to accept, and there remain doubts about Prime Minister Abe's statement that 'we will work with local governments to take necessary measures,'" emphasizing, "Go to Travel should be temporarily suspended."

Furthermore, Sankei commented on Prime Minister Abe's recent absence in front of the public amid the resurgence of COVID-19, stating, "To seek the public's understanding regarding the difficult leadership involving infection prevention and economic recovery, the Prime Minister must take the forefront."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.