WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Japan decided to ease restrictions imposed on foreign tourists' entry into the country more than two years ago due to the spread of Covid.
On the same day, Japan will remove the current daily cap of 50,000 foreign visitors allowed to visit the country, aimed to revive its ailing economy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said individual tourists will be able to visit the country without a visa, and will no longer need to go through a travel agency, from October 11.
'Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US,' Kishida told reporters.
In order to boost the influx of foreign tourists, Japan had allowed visitors from 68 countries and regions, including the United States, to stay in the country for not more than 90 days without a visa.
An average of more than 2 million tourists visited Japan per month during pre-pandemic years, but the numbers fell sharply after the lockdowns were lifted, the Japan National Tourism Organization's data shows.
Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2022 AFX News
