With Japan set to further relax border restrictions and resume visa-free travel next week, it might be a while before inbound tourism regains the momentum it enjoyed before the pandemic.
Crucially, it remains uncertain when Chinese visitors ¡ª the largest source of tourist revenue before the COVID-19 outbreak ¡ª will be able to freely visit Japan due to the ¡°COVID zero¡± policy in China that strictly curbs overseas travel by the country¡¯s residents.
Without being able to rely on Chinese tourists, ¡°I believe that the pace of (inbound) recovery will be moderate,¡± said Wakaba Kobayashi, an economist at the Daiwa Institute of Research.
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