Traveling with a 50% subsidy – that only happens in Japan!

Japanese Tourism Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba announced on September 8th that the "Go to Travel" domestic tourism subsidy program, launched by the Japanese government on July 22nd, will provide each traveler with a 35% subsidy, primarily for accommodation costs.

Starting October 1st, travelers will receive coupons that add up to 15% to their total expenses. These coupons can be used for dining, shopping, and other activities offered at destinations. The discount coupons are expected to help “recover travel demand and boost widespread consumption at local destinations,” Mr. Akaba emphasized.

Discount vouchers are distributed to customers by hotels and travel agencies, or provided via smartphones, in units of 1,000 Yen, with the following rates: 20,000 Yen subsidy per overnight stay; 10,000 Yen for day trips, including transportation costs. Tourists can use these vouchers at tourist attractions, restaurants, souvenir shops, and on the transportation system in tourist areas and surrounding regions.

However, to date, this subsidy program, totaling 1.35 trillion Yen (US$12.7 billion), does not cover travel to and from Tokyo in general, or for residents of the capital in particular, because Tokyo still has the highest Covid-19 infection rate among Japan's 47 prefectures.

Huong Thao