Impact of COVID-19 on the Japanese travel market and the travel market of overseas visitors to Japan, and subsequent recovery

The spread of COVID-19 hit both the Japanese travel market and the foreign travel market to Japan, forcing travel-related businesses to shrink, temporarily suspend operations, or close down their businesses. However, Japanese people's desire to travel after the slowdown of COVID-19 remains and the desire of people from Asia, Europe, the United States, and Australia to travel to Japan is also high. The Japanese Government provides loans and other support measures to enable travel-related business operators to survive through the COVID-19 crisis. They advance measures to increase the benefit of accommodation facilities and tourism areas in preparation for the recovery period of travel demand. Although the situation is unpredictable as the mutation of the virus continues, under the assumption that the vaccination will progress worldwide and travel restrictions will be relaxed in the near future, this study examines the path and issues for the recovery of Japanese travel demand and foreign travel demand for overseas visitors to Japan.