Japan Plans Possible Flight Subsidies to Boost Tourism When/If Any Form of Normal Returns

Japan's tourism chiefs have revealed a quite staggering yet entirely believable modern statistic, showing that incoming tourism during the month of April fell by... go on, have a guess... 99.9 per cent. That left a mere 2,900 overseas travellers entering the country for a massively ill-advised and no doubt quite bizarre holiday during the month.

Obviously the country is keen to see that number increase exponentially as we approach the summer and lockdowns are hopefully eased the world over, and one weapon authorities are lining up is a possible subsidy of the cost of travel. This would come via a £10bn government funding package for the tourism industry, designed to encourage incoming travel from overseas by "subsidising a portion of travel expenses" through some as yet unannounced method.

Oddly enough Japan's tourism industry has been on the slide since last year anyway, stats from the Japan Tourism Agency show, as regional tensions with South Korea reduced the number of visitors coming over from the neighbouring peninsula, plus acts of God in the shape of unusually harsh typhoons also put a literal dampener on holidays. And now this pesky global shutdown, plus the rescheduling of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has made the situation additionally bleak. [Japan Times via Metro]

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