Resumption of tourism - Latest info?

Re "..."

Yep "..." - Australia has changed a lot in a short time but it also depends on the jurisdiction. I can't travel to WA but can visit the UK.

Japan has some interesting laws which ban some mandates which I don't pretend to fully understand - but that societal expectations of being frightened of covid needs to happen in Japan for public perception to change.

With Japan having an older population who are the main voting group who are most at risk of having complications with covid to boot - I'm not holding my luck for quick changes.

@LIZ

Sources for �gThe government promoting international tourism? The government and industry leaders not wanting to thee the border closed forever?�h

and for �gThey would do it tomorrow if they could get away with it politically�h

Lots of wishful thinking here. First, the continuous pressure to open the borders relates only and entirely to students, families, business visitors and farm workers. As someone pointed out, it's almost certain the government will let those people in quite soon, around spring. There is no pressure whatsoever to open the borders for tourists, and there won't be once the above groups are allowed in. Simply there'll be no one to press the government about this (besides travel agencies). Without pressure the government can drag the ban indefinitely.
Second, can we please stop comparing Japan to Australia and other Western countries? Ok, we got it that Australia is opening this month, NZ - in autumn (let's see about this first), but Taiwan, the Phillippines, China - all major travel destinations - are not opening at all. Japan is an Asian country and Japanese people act like Asians, not like Australians. Even with the predecessors bird/swine flu and SARS, the Asian countries were much more on alert. The only one that I see actively trying to open in entire East/South Asia is Thailand. There's no reason to expect Japan will do something fundamentally different than all of its neighbours.
Finally, expecting some sense and reasoning from this government is naive. The fact that they tried to put masks on 2-year-olds which besides everything else can be dangerous shows it all. Sacrificing the children to save the elderly means you've completely lost the plot. Politicians with an average age of 75 can only care about the problems of their own generation.

Let's not forget that Japan had plans to let in tourists before the variants and vaccines. I appreciate that a lot has changed since then, but I think the suggestion that there would be some prolonged, really long time frame between letting in everyone but tourists in farfetched. Months between phases, not years.

Also, aren't Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore (limited to certain countries) & South Korea (with a horrible quarantine) opening/open for tourists?

Indonesia, yes, but for now only Bali and Riau. Singapore is open for the EU I think. And Korea has already been open for months (but yes, with horrible and senseless quarantine).

Yes, Indonesia is open for tourists. You have to quarantine (it was just 2 days before omicron appeared, but not anymore), and do PCR tests.

Not sure about the others, except South Korea, which has a long quarantine but full of strict rules (saw a video where you land, you do a PCR test, then you go to a specific facility -hotel with quarantine measures-you stay inside during those days and every day you have people go in your room to check your temperature and you have to download an app to send your daily temperature / you do PCR tests in between, and before the quarantine is over, you do a final PCR test). It's pretty insane though, it looks like a prison (you eat what they get you, and you have a specific place to store your trash -I think you have a specific hour too to put your trash next to your door outside your room-it's pretty insane).

I thought Japan would follow the same rules as in South Korea when it came to tourism. Of all east-southern Asian countries specified here, South Korea is the most closer in area and culture. But who knows, maybe they'll start to do the same eventually? Let tourists in but with an insane quarantine regime?

like some users have. the French are similar to Belgian in culture (although I'm sure, like the Japanese and Koreans, they wouldn't agree), but both have had very different rules when it comes to tourists outside of the EU.

I really don't think it is as much of a factor as some people think, and is borderline offensive to group all Asians together like some users have.

Philippines are reopening for tourists the day after tomorrow : https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2022/02/07/philippines-to-re-open-bord...

Singapore welcomes vaccinated tourists with a lot of PCR tests.

Indonesia welcomes tourists in Bali since February 4th https://thediplomat.com/2022/02/indonesia-sets-date-for-full-bali-tour...

So, things are moving in Asia. Of course, Japan is far behind... I hope they announce some kind of plan and stick to it this time !

I am unsure how @guest doesn't know that the Japanese government was interested in promoting International tourism. I want to stress the majority of tourists are not Western and that this is about all International tourism, not specific countries: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00631/new-record-for-internation...

This is specifically an older article about tourism goals so as not to muddy the waters with Covid. So yes, pre-Covid, Japan was actively courting foreign tourism.

Just because the majority of tourism in Japan is domestic doesn't mean everyone in Japan goes to the same places. It's mostly anecdotal, but just look at the places that people complain about being "too crowded" pre-Covid. Did suddenly masses of Japanese people start going to those places or is it foreign tourism? Kyoto City is having severe financial issues because they are not getting the number of tourists they were planning on. It's the missing income from foreign tourists.

Tourism affects more than tour operators. It affects: hotels, shops, restaurants, and tourist sights.

I'm not even arguing tourism is all good, tourism is a double edged sword, just ask most Hawaiians.

If Japan is having a surge of Covid right now, it's not because of foreigners.

a very recent survey of foreign tourists to Japan (pre Covid 2019) had the Chinese and Koreans making up about 75 % of all foreigner tourists. Asian tourism so dominates foreign tourism. Canada, United States, and Europe are not very important. This will go on for a long time. No tourists allowed in period.

I don't think that the number of tourists per country will have an impact on future immigration policies. It is more likely that travelers from countries with important business relations will be given priority, which includes the Western countries. In the not so likely case that vaccines will play a role in the future policies, those countries where Pfizer and Moderna were not widely used may be in a disadvantageous situation. In any case, if there is no new terrible variant, I hope to see some kind of reopening of the borders towards tourists in the second half of the year.

I was wrong. It seems to be happening even before March 1: https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Japan-to-let-in-foreign-...

As of now, the Nikkei is the only source to have announced this.

If I understand correctly in Asahi Shinbun it sounds like in February nothing will change, but in March maybe yes:
https://www.asahi.com/sp/articles/ASQ2D4JT2Q2DUTFK005.html?iref=sptop_...
The good thing is that it is not hear say but the actually have a quote from the prime minister.

We will need to see. Also how long it will take to get everyone in so is waiting. With university starting 1/Apr let�fs see if students will be prioritized , or if the economy is more important and workers are allowed in at the same time. Will it be the oder the visa, the earlier you get in? Or a scramble for the line as everyone will make the application.

Let�fs see. And let�fs hope we don�ft need to learn the next letter in the Greek alphabet too soon.

I also saw the Saturday announcement of the PM in another newspaper today, along with repeated calls for changing border controls and declines in number of new Omicron cases.
Still pretty low uptake of 3rd vaccine shots (I might get my appointment voucher next week), and some areas still have quite low percentage of the population fully vaccinated despite high numbers nationally - for instance, my city in Tokyo is still under 85% for eligible recipients (76.5% for population as a whole) and that hasn't changed much in months.
Re-opening for students/business people/people heading to Japan for long term stays will, as has been commented for months, still be the first group allowed in. Tourists - still speculative.
I did watch a video this morning of someone I follow on YT that traveled to the Philippines yesterday. Pretty simple for them, despite having their first booked flight cancelled a few days ago, but they rebooked and entry into the country was quick and simple. Given case numbers there a month ago were comparable to Japan, their re-opening to tourists has happened quite quickly.

Yeah it has been pretty fast over here in Oz as well.

I think we were seduced into thinking that it could be eradicated, one death was one too many. But 90% vaxxed target has been hit, and omicron meant that lockdowns are about as effective as passing wind in a hurricane, so pretty much all bets are off.

now we are open for tourists, but I'm not sure that anyone wants to come lol...

I've joined this thread because we have a family trip of a life time, booked for July. I booked it last year thinking things would be ok by July, but it doesn't look like it does it really? I am glad to have found this thread because at least I can see that it may not be possible to make our trip and I can start thinking of plan B.I will re read the ticket issuers policy and insurance info. Fingers crossed everyone.

Well, it's OP here, glad to see my topic is still alive and active after this much time and we were able to use it to centralize some info!

Personally, I gave up the dream for 2022, and will most likely either stay in Europa, or travel to the US. I'm hoping for May 2023!

I think this topic has been very important for a lot of people during the year.
I've been following it since you first posted and sometimes I shared my ideas or articles I found.
There was discussion, then infos, hope, conflict, and then again discussions. We've read opinions of people from different countries and advices of people living in Japan.

As I'm waiting to be able to visit Japan for the first time, I just want to thank all of you for making it entertaining.

To await a pleasure, is itself a pleasure

Also, I'll share this one to heat you up a bit:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-15/japan-public-backs-...

At least the number declined. Last time it was 89%. People in Japan are starting to realize.