Japan's domestic-travel campaign blasted as Tokyo outbreak swells

Politicians and businesses fear rise in tourism will spread coronavirus infections

Tourists visit Kyoto's Arashiyama district before the coronavirus outbreak. Many tourism-dependent regions and businesses have suffered heavily due to the pandemic.

YUKI FUJITA and YUKI HANAI, Nikkei staff writer

July 16, 2020 07:04 JST

TOKYO -- A Japanese campaign to promote domestic travel has sparked intense criticism as coronavirus cases in Tokyo rise once again, with opposition lawmakers and Gov. Yuriko Koike pushing the government to postpone the program.

The Go To Travel promotion, which starts July 22, subsidizes half of travel expenses for domestic trips, with a cap of 20,000 yen ($187) per night per traveler. The government originally planned an August launch, then pushed the date forward to help revive Japan's pandemic-hit economy.