252 inbound [tourist] visitors in June; future visitors to Japan also sluggish
https://www.sankei.com/article/20220720-7BNUG2XRIZJUHDQFEX2TRUZFVM/
252 inbound [tourist] visitors in June; future visitors to Japan also sluggish
https://www.sankei.com/article/20220720-7BNUG2XRIZJUHDQFEX2TRUZFVM/
37 comments
From Google translate:
> Koichi Wada, the head of the Japan Tourism Agency, announced at a regular press conference on June 20 that the number of people entering the country from June 10, when the ban on accepting foreign tourists (inbound) to Japan was partially lifted, and the end of the same month was 252. The number of people wishing to enter the country for tourism purposes since July 1 has reached a total of 14,580 at present, far below even the current daily entry limit of 20,000 people, highlighting the impact of the ongoing severe entry restrictions.
> Regarding the immigration situation after the resumption of inbound tourism, Mr. Wada said at the press conference, “This is still the first step in reopening, and it will increase after July.”
> According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of pre-registered participants in the Immigration Health Check System (ERFS), which the government mandates for immigrants, was 9,057 in July, 4,333 in August, and 1,190 in September.
> By country, in descending order, Korea had 6,144 people, Thailand had 2,542 people, the United States had 1,302 people, Indonesia had 740 people, and France had 585 people.
> On the same day, the Japan Tourism Organization also announced that the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan in June was 120,400 (estimated). However, this is the number of people including business travelers, international students, technical intern trainees, etc., and the data released by the Japan Tourism Agency on that day shows the actual situation of inbound tourism better.
> In addition to limiting the number of people entering the country, the government has imposed stricter regulations than major countries, such as limiting entry for tourist purposes to group tour passengers with tour conductors, requiring the acquisition of visas that were unnecessary before the coronavirus.
Only 252 visitors in June is probably expected, since the new rules from June 10th were not announced much in advance, there was almost no time to arrange guided tours and visas the same month.
The June estimate of total foreign entries (including the small number of tourists) is 120,400. That’s around 4,000 per day, which is very far below the 88,000 average per day in 2019. Less than 5% of pre-pandemic figures.
14,580 tourist entries from 1-20th July is just over 700 entries per day so far, so will not make much difference compared to the June numbers for foreign entries – the vast majority are still non-tourism visa holders, and the number is tiny compared to 2019.
Probably not a surprise that out of 14,580 tourists so far in July, 8,686 (about 60%) were from Korea + Thailand, countries where perhaps people are more accepting of the concept of guided group tourism.
> “This is still the first step in reopening, and it will increase after July.”
Is he hinting that the strict monitored tours will be scrapped, or are they simply expecting more people to sign up?
>future visitors to Japan also sluggish
Give them a boss coffee. That’ll sharpen them up.
Archive link for Nikkei article on the same subject (in English):
https://archive.ph/sZQ66
Great news, mass tourism is bad. Furthermore, they add almost nothing to GDP.
>June 10
That is still only North Korean style guided tour tourists, right?
I think there are very few people who want to go there in that way, me included.
No way I’m going there on a guided tour.
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*Hmmm, I really wonder why no one wants to come. I mean, you only have to go through a super annoying visa application process, then have to pay for a flight ticket 4x the price it used to be and then stick to your tourist guide who will only carry you to a bunch of sights everyone already knows, to get the “Postcard-Experience” of Japan.* /s (obviously)
No, thank you. If I wanted to do a planned tour with a guide I am not allowed to leave I would go to China or North Korea.
If I wanted to visit North Korea I’d go to the actual North Korea rather than a knock-off version.
Taking a vacation to get babysit. Pass lol
Sigh.
What really annoys me is that the officials can’t even provide a road map or plan for the re-opening. I feel like they’re just suddenly gonna open up one day and it’s probably gonna be the day after I’ve already booked a trip somewhere else.
Cause nobody wants to go on a guided tour
I was able to get into Japan with my wife on a special family visa. Since we got married she had never been back to Japan, and I had never been able to meet her family.
I was there two weeks ago. I saw some foreigners traveling with us into Japan, though I don’t know how they got in; if they were there on tours, or also had some kind of special exception like I did.
This makes me remember Shin Gojira: A bunch of men in suits afraid to take the initiative to lead a change and wait for the boss guy, who has no idea whatsoever, to make a decision. Someone somewhere made a decision and here we are..
Is japan opening for tourism again?
Ive been saving my vacation time so I could visit, I really want to hang out with the locals and visit comiket and meet new people there, I even learned conversational japanese for it?
Is this possible on the guided tour?
My brother asked me last week if tourists were allowed in again because he was considering visiting me.
My reply was “Well yes, but actually no.”
I actually saw one of these tour groups. There was an older woman watching the four or five tourists like a hawk, constantly holding her hand up in the air and calling to them. Looked like a lot of fun. /s
What’s their reasoning for chaperoning people after arrival? What does it have to do with COVID?
Least surprising thing ever, especially given that everyone needs to compete for the same visa slots as business travellers and long term residential applications at the embassy. There’s only so many hours a day and currently everyone needs to book a 20 minute embassy appointment in person.
Is anyone here a university student in the West, studying Japanese? I’d be curious to learn about how university students have been affected by no study abroad for 2 years. Looks like it will end up being 3 years.
As a foreigner living in Japan I am actually quite enjoying the tourist free time. But economically this is really shit for a lot of places…
when do y’all think it will go back to “normal” tourism, no visa, tour guide etc
As much as I desire to go to Japan in order to either restart and reclaim what I lost when my American college forced me home during my study abroad under threat of being kicked out of school, because they thought we would catch Covid and sue them, or failing that, come back to visit as a tourist before gaining more credentials in order to be hired from overseas:
This guided tour nonsense is practically insulting. Not only is the concept of closed borders laughably impractical for just about everything now since a) Covid isn’t going away, and b) there’s no magical Japanese resistance to it, with the idea that it’s spread more by foreigners being downright wrong, but the fact is that an unreasonable strict ‘guided tour’ isn’t worth the 16ish hour flight from here it would take to reach Japan.
And I get it. I get why Japanese officials, as far as the start of the pandemic was concerned, would want to play it safe. I even kind of agree with the reasoning to an extent.
But this? This is moronic, and it delays my ability to move on with my life when my ultimate goal and majority of my 10 years of schooling was for the express purpose of leaving my home country and moving to Japan.
I know a post Covid world will always be a bit rough, but enough is enough. It’s time to let us back in.
Nobody is missing out, Japan sounds atrocious right now
I’ve got family members and friends that want to visit and they’ve been here many times before COVID hit. It’s outrageous that the only way they’d be able to visit is through a fucking North Korea style guided tour when they know the country already.
I cancelled my plans too. Fk their North Korea-inspired tours.
I’ve been trying to hold out for going to Japan but I finally threw in the towel yesterday and now I’m going to South Korea in August.
If you’re coming here to visit a friend or family member you can apply for a family and friend’s visa at the moment. The Japanese resident has to sponsor your visa and sign a paper saying that you won’t break any rules.
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I hope the country opens up to individual tourists before November as I will be in Asia
Cos I’ve seen tours for around £2000 that are 12 days. I barely spent that when I went for 3 weeks. The cost of them is crazy
When will the borders completely open?
As someone whose already here. I like this alot. No lines and everyone isn’t burnt out from seeing 100000 gaijins roaming around.
I booked tickets for September this year in December of 2021 for a 3 week trip. Originally wanted to go to Europe but figured at the time that Europe would be harder to travel due to specific country entry requirements, so I decided on Japan since it was 1 country to enter and stay in VS several. Cancelled my ticket to Japan last month and now going to Europe. Never would’ve imagined 8 months later that Japan would be the one of the ones to open last.
I haven’t met my girlfriend in person for more than 2.5 years because of this shit. I really hope they open fully again soon.
Well I got flights I can reschedule for Japan in March of 2023. I hope they have their borders opened by then because I have a very limited time to see my brother in law on base there