In its latest report on the Gulf region, IMF also said GCC has been resilient to recent shocks and the economic outlook remains favourable
business1 hour ago
Japan reopened its doors to tourists on Tuesday, after two-and-a-half years of tough Covid-19 restrictions, with officials hoping an influx of travellers enticed by a weak yen will boost the economy.
By mid-morning, tourists from Israel, France and Britain were already pouring in.
"It's a long, long dream come true," said 69-year-old Adi Bromshtine, a retiree arriving at Tokyo's Haneda airport from Israel.
"We were planning before Covid and waiting and waiting," she told AFP.
Itay Galili, a 22-year-old student also arriving from Israel, said he had been closely monitoring the news for word of the border reopening.
"As soon as I heard it's going to reopen on the 11th, I started planning. Tickets were expensive ... but no price [is] too heavy," he told AFP.
Japan slammed its borders shut early in the pandemic — at one point even barring foreign residents from returning — and has only recently begun cautiously reopening.
In June, it began allowing tourists to visit in groups accompanied by guides — a requirement that was further relaxed to include self-guided package tours.
From Tuesday, visa-free entry resumed for travellers from 68 countries and territories.
Japan is also lifting a cap on the number of arrivals, and ending the package tour requirement.
Some rules remain, with tourists required to present either proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test taken three days before departure.
Before Covid, Japan's government was on track to achieve a goal of 40 million visitors by 2020, the year Tokyo was supposed to host the Summer Olympics.
Japan received a record 31.9 million foreign visitors in 2019, but that plummeted to just 250,000 in 2021.
In Japan, tourists will find a country that is still adhering to many of the health guidelines that helped it to keep pandemic deaths to around 45,500: lower than many other developed economies.
Masks are ubiquitous, and though not mandated by law, the parliament is set to pass a legislation allowing hotels to deny service to customers who refuse to wear one, or observe other health rules.
Masks are worn not only indoors and on public transport, but even outdoors, despite the government saying they are not necessary outside (in uncrowded settings).
Hand sanitisers are placed at the entrance of most businesses, while plastic dividers are also often used in restaurants.
Another major change for tourists will be the weakness of the yen, which is hovering around 145 to the dollar — a level not seen for two decades.
The government has already had to intervene once to prop up the currency, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cited the yen's weakness as a factor he hoped would draw tourists when he announced the reopening.
ALSO READ:
There is certainly no shortage of demand, according to travel agents.
Since the September announcement of the planned reopening, "we've been absolutely drowning, we don't have enough time to deal with all the requests," said Antoine Chanthavong, of Paris-based travel agency Destination Japan.
Still, for now at least, tickets are not coming cheap, with fuel prices soaring and airlines forced to take circuitous routes to avoid Russian airspace.
And for all the rebound in demand, there is little expectation that tourist numbers will soon reach their 2019 levels.
Before the pandemic, travellers from Hong Kong and China made up 37 per cent of all foreign visitors to Japan, and 44 per cent of tourism income.
However, tough Covid restrictions in China make it unlikely visitors from there will be flocking back to Japan anytime soon.
In its latest report on the Gulf region, IMF also said GCC has been resilient to recent shocks and the economic outlook remains favourable
business1 hour ago
The country is home to more than 220 million child brides but the number of child weddings has fallen dramatically this century
asia2 hours ago
The Dh689-million project will serve several key areas, including Al Sufouh 2, Al Barsha Residential Area, and Jumeirah Village Circle
transport2 hours ago
Decades of neglect have led to buildings being demolished or compromised through slapdash modern renovation
asia2 hours ago
Bayrou is the sixth prime minister of President Macron's mandate, and the fourth of 2024; each has served for a shorter period than the last one
europe2 hours ago
Champions Real Madrid face Sevilla on Sunday and can also move ahead of Barcelona with a victory
sports2 hours ago
Yarmuk camp has been ruined by siege and bombardment, in some of the most intense battles of Syria's complex civil war
mena2 hours ago
It is the source of some puzzlement to the outside world that British mince pies have not in fact been filled with minced meat for centuries
europe2 hours ago