TOKYO: Tourism ministers from the Group of 20 major economies have agreed to strengthen cooperation to support the tourism industry, which has been battered by the new coronavirus pandemic.

According to a communique released after their teleconference on Wednesday, the ministers agreed to make efforts to ensure the safety of travel to push forward the resumption of international travel.

From Japan, tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba attended the meeting.

“We recognize that COVID-19 may result in a paradigm shift for the travel and tourism sector,” the communique said, while noting that the sector “is one of the most heavily impacted sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The G-20 ministers agreed to share knowledge and experiences to secure the safety of travelers.

They also agreed to support workers as well as micro and small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism sector to help them “successfully engage in increasingly evolving and digitalized economies.”

The monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan has been standing below 10,000 since April, with travel restrictions introduced across the world amid the pandemic. Air carriers have been suspending many international flight services.

JIJI Press