We’re Very Sorry To Report That Japan Won’t Be Paying For You To Visit After All
by By Steffanie TanI’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it appears the Japanese government will not be paying for your trip to the country post-pandemic after all.
Yesterday, word got about that the Japanese government was interested in paying for a portion of your travel expenses to boost tourism across the country. Sure, it was only in the discussion stages then, but we (especially me) all got our hopes up.
But it appears the discussions have been binned (for now, at least). According to the Japan Times, the government is in fact interested in footing the bill… but for domestic tourists only. Lucky them.
The government will subsidise a portion of domestic tourists’ travel expenses, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Hiroshi Tabata confirmed to the media.
The domestic program, worth ¥1.35 trillion (AUD$18 billion), could be in place as early as July if things all go to plan. For now, travel restrictions are still in place.
Unfortunately, there was no official mention of international travel.
On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a nationwide state of emergency in response to the coronavirus. While a number of closures still remain in place, students will begin to return to school come June 1.
While a trip to Japan post-pandemic would’ve been absolutely delightful, you might also want to consider one of the many dreamy locations in our neck of the woods. You can check out a couple of them below.
Christ, it’s been a minute since I went on a road trip.
Image: Getty Images / Peter Adams