Japan eyes March opening for Asian tourists as coronavirus fears ease and Olympics loom

The government is making plans to permit small groups to enter Japan from places that have the coronavirus under control, such as Taiwan, Vietnam and China

Airlines including JAL and ANA are gearing up for increased business and are preparing more low-cost flights for short-haul trips

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Giant Olympic rings at Tokyo’s Odaiba Marine Park. The Summer Olympic Games are expected to begin on July 23. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:19pm, 9 Dec 2020Updated: 6:40pm, 9 Dec 2020

Japan’s tourism sector is making tentative plans to welcome back the first foreign visitors in the spring, with the government keen to open the doors wider before the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympic Games commence on July 23.

The Asahi newspaper reported this week that the government is drawing up plans to permit small group tours to enter the country from other parts of Asia, such as Taiwan, Vietnam or China, which have done a relatively good job of controlling the spread of the coronavirus.

The tours could resume when the weather begins to turn warmer in March, although a final decision on the proposal will have to wait until health authorities are able to build a better picture of how the pandemic is progressing in the spring and the availability and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines.

Under the initiative, the small groups will be required to have tested negative for the virus, submitted a detailed itinerary and travel on a dedicated charter bus for the duration of their visit. They will also be expected to avoid other tourist groups and large crowds at popular tourist spots, use a tracing app at all times and provide daily updates on their health.

At present, international visitors are only permitted to enter Japan if they isolate themselves for two weeks, which effectively rules out tourist arrivals. According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, arrivals from overseas in October were down 99 per cent from the same month one year previously and marking the 13th consecutive month of year-on-year declines.

The government is also planning to open in March a centralised venue for monitoring the location and well-being of foreign tourists, with the facility fully operational by the time the Olympics opens four months later.

Japanese airlines – hard-hit by the health crisis – are coy about their ambitions for their business for the next 18 months, but both All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) are expanding their respective low-cost carrier divisions in anticipation of a rebound in business after the pandemic has begun to wane.

Kimono-clad women pose for a photo against the backdrop of Hokanji temple in Kyoto, a prime tourism destination. Photo: EPA-EFE