SAPPORO, Japan -- For rural Japan, privatization of local airports was supposed to be the magic formula to bring in tourists from around the world, revitalizing regions that had lost growth momentum to an aging and shrinking population.
Business trends
Japan's just privatized airports grounded from the get-go
Coronavirus wipes out inbound tourism, and with it all rosy plans for growth
New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido: Passenger traffic was down more than 70% in March. (Photo courtesy of the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau)
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