The government’s abrupt announcement Thursday to exclude Tokyo from a national tourism campaign has sparked questions and criticism about why only the capital has been left out and whether or not the exclusion will really help contain the coronavirus.
Tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba, whose ministry is in charge of the Go To Travel campaign, which offers a 50 percent government subsidy for domestic travel, described the decision as heart-breaking but necessary given the recent spike in infections in Tokyo in particular. It was a decision, he said, that was made in close consultation with experts on a government coronavirus subcommittee.
“Tokyo is an important tourist destination and many who live in Tokyo travel elsewhere. We recognize there will be an economic effect of excluding these people from the Go To Travel campaign,” Akaba told reporters Friday morning.