Society

39 prefectures offer hotel discounts to revive virus-hit tourism

Jun 20 (Japan Today) - A total of 39 of Japan's 47 prefectures are offering or plan to offer customers discounts for staying at their hotels and inns to help spur demand that has fallen due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a Kyodo News survey found Friday.

However, 25 of the 39 prefectures have restricted the discounts to local residents, reflecting their wariness in attracting outsiders and triggering a second or third wave of infections in the country as Japan only stopped requesting people not to travel across prefectural borders on Friday.

The central government will launch its "Go To" domestic travel subsidy and coupon campaign in early August to help revive local economies coping with the impact of the virus.

A total of 22 prefectures have already made their discounts available and 17 were scheduled to do so.

The five prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Hiroshima and Kumamoto said they are considering the option, while Saitama and Hyogo prefectures said they have no plans, and Tokyo said it was undecided.

Among the 22 prefectures already implementing discounts, Toyama has been giving up to a 15,000 yen discount per person staying at accommodation within the central Japan prefecture, and people have been flocking to apply for the discount since early June, it said.

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