Tourism and ICT Solutions in the COVID-19 Era: A Comparison Between Japan and Sweden

Due to the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), the tourism industry has been experiencing a worldwide crisis. However, the effects of the virus differ widely across regions and countries, and the current situation varies considerably. In this study, I will discuss the difficulties faced by the tourism industry regarding the new coronavirus by comparing Japan and Sweden, focusing on discrimination in the tourism industry. In Japan, discrimination based on place of residence has been observed, while in Sweden, race-based discrimination has been confirmed. Considering the current situation, we will examine how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to salvage the tourism industry in each country. Specifically, we propose a method to increase the sense of security of guests and hosts in the tourism industry through many types of location-based games, such as Pokémon Go and various contact tracing apps. This study is expected to foster trust in the tourism and service industries and bring about business innovation.