Japan suspends domestic tourism stimulus program

 Japan suspends domestic tourism stimulus program

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said the domestic tourism stimulus program "Go To Travel" will be temporarily suspended nationwide from December 28, 2020 to January 11, 2021.

People wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Tokyo, Japan, December 12, 2020. (Source: THX/VNA)

On December 14, Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said that the Government of Japan will suspend the domestic tourism stimulus program "Go To Travel" nationwide in the context of the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. cause COVID-19 to increase.

Speaking at the meeting of the government's task force to respond to the COVID-19 epidemic, Prime Minister Suga said the above subsidy program will be temporarily suspended nationwide from December 28, 2020 to January 11, 2020. 2021.

The Japanese government will make the next decision depending on the development of the epidemic situation after the New Year holiday.

Under the "Go To Travel" program, the Japanese government subsidizes up to 20,000 yen ($185) per day for people to travel. The subsidy, which will cover half the cost of the trips, is provided through a combination of strong discounts and vouchers for use at shops and restaurants near the tourist destination.

The program began to be implemented at the end of July, applied to people who book tours through Japanese travel agencies or book directly with hotels or traditional inns in this country.

About 1,350 billion yen ($12.59 billion) of the Japanese Government's emergency support package worth more than 200,000 billion yen is earmarked for this program.