Japan ’s travel industry is eagerly anticipating the fuller reopening of borders to foreign tourists on Friday , with operators reporting surging interest in destinations, activities and sights across the country over the coming months.
And while the industry is delighted at the gradual reopening of Japan to the outside world and is reporting an extremely high level of interest from travellers and a steady flow of bookings, particularly at the luxury end of the market, there is a hint of concern below the surface that another sudden spike in coronavirus cases or the impact of a widely predicted economic downturn may yet play havoc with operators’ ambitions.
“We have been surprised to see a lot of demand from the US, Europe and Australia,” he said. “Now we are hoping for the domino effect to kick in as more and more people realise that Japan is open to visitors once again.
Michael Chen, co-CEO of the H2 Group, which owns and manages more than 150 luxury properties in and around Hokkaido’s skiing hotspots of Niseko and Furano, also reported renewed confidence in the industry after “a dark couple of years”. “We have plenty of that here and I’m sure that people who know Hokkaido will be back as soon as they can.”