‘Go to hospital’: Japan’s domestic tourism campaign mocked as coronavirus resurges
- The ‘Go To Travel’ promotion is among multiple plans by the government, including ‘Go To Eat’ and ‘Go To Event’, to kick-start the economy
- Critics have mocked the programmes as ‘Go To Hospital’ or ‘Go To Heaven’, amid Japan’s largest Covid-19 surge yet
The popular “Go To Travel” campaign, which discounts trips to boost regions hit hardest by a lack of tourists, is one of the government’s most prized projects for spurring the economy, and has been heavily backed by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
The risk is that the campaign could be doing more long-term harm than good in a country attempting to balance growing the economy and controlling the pandemic.
The “Go To Travel” campaign is just one of multiple subsidies promoted to kick-start the economy, with “Go To Eat” and “Go To Event” programmes offering restaurant and event discounts. Critical commentary and opponents on social media have mocked the programmes as “Go To Hospital” or “Go To Heaven”.
The campaign is also looking like it is crossing wires with local governments as they begin to implement fresh restrictions to stem the rising number of severe Covid-19 cases in Japan.
Tokyo’s governor is urging residents to avoid unnecessary outings, and the government is raising the spectre of another state of emergency.
