Japan considers relaxing COVID-19 limits for tourists from next month

ANKARA (AA) – Japan is mulling over relaxing COVID-19 restrictions for tourists and increasing the daily limit from 20,000 to 50,000 by next month, a media report said.

The country’s authorities are considering gradually easing the current testing requirements in order to resume full-scale tourist arrivals from around the world, Bloomberg reported.

Currently, Japan allows 20,000 tourists to enter the country.

After a two-year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan reopened its international borders to tourists in June.

The government has resumed issuing tourist visas for guided tours to 98 countries and regions, including the US, UK , China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Japan gradually eased COVID-19 restrictions for international travelers this March, when it opened its borders for businesspeople, students, and Japanese citizens.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, which began in China in late 2019 but reached most countries early the next year, Japan had set a target of 40 million foreign visitors for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games which were later postponed until 2021.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid