Japan reopened its doors to tourists Tuesday after two-and-a-half years of tough Covid restrictions, with officials hoping an influx of travellers enticed by a weak yen will boost the economy.

“Our expectations are very high after two years of hardships,” said Satoshi Yoshida, head of a tourist association in Kutchan, which is part of Hokkaido’s Niseko resort area, a popular destination of foreign tourists.

Japan removed its daily cap on travelers allowed to enter the country and eased other border measures. In addition, it started a state-subsidized nationwide travel discount program.

Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Niseko area in northern Japan attracted more than four million tourists in 2019, with foreigners accounting for about 80 pct of tourists staying at least one night. The annual number fell to around half of the 2019 level in 2020 and 2021.

The number of hotel reservations for this winter is seen returning to a level before the coronavirus outbreak. Many reservations are coming in from abroad.

Tokyu Resorts & Stays Co., which runs ski resorts and hotels across the country, is also seeing a recovery in hotel reservations in the Niseko area.

“A return of foreign tourists makes a great difference,” Tokyu Resorts Niseko area manager Fumio Sato said. “We hope the growth will continue.”

In the western city of Kyoto, another popular tourist spot, Yojiya Inc. public relations official Sayumi Ideno expressed high hopes just as the cosmetic goods retailer known for its “aburatorigami” facial absorbent papers is beginning to see sales recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic had forced the company to close all its stores temporarily.

“Our sales remain tough compared with levels before the coronavirus crisis,” Ideno said. “The number of customers tends to peak during the red leave season (in autumn), so we hope many people will visit us.”

In Kyoto’s Arashiyama district, souvenir shop manager Masahiro Hosokawa said that conditions have been set for inbound tourism to recover, with support from the yen’s weakness.

“Foreigners usually don’t wear face masks. Some Japanese people may avoid approaching them for fear of infection,” Hosokawa said.

“But infection risk is low, given that stores are very careful about ventilation and disinfection and that most tourist spots in the Arashiyama district are outdoors.

JIJI Press