Hakone, Japan's tourist attraction, was dominated by Chinese tourists during the Spring Festival in previous years, but the current situation is no longer lively.

(AFP)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] China and other places have entered the Lunar New Year holiday. The Chinese government has not loosened its overseas travel policy, resulting in restrictions on visa applications. The Japanese government has also implemented strict testing for Chinese inbound tourists. The authorities judged and judged Chinese tourists who went to Japan this year The number of people will be significantly reduced compared to before the outbreak.

In previous years, Hakone, a tourist attraction that was dominated by Chinese tourists during the Spring Festival, is no longer as lively as it was then. Local shops hope that tourists will return as soon as possible to promote tourism.

According to "NHK" reports, the Chinese government continues to implement overseas travel restrictions. The Japan Tourism Bureau stated that there will be about 1.37 million foreign tourists visiting Japan in December 2022, which is 113 times that of the same period in 2021. 30% of Chinese tourists now account for only about 2%.

Hakone, a well-known tourist attraction in Japan, has been greatly affected, and there are still no Chinese tourists. The surrounding businesses look forward to the restoration of prosperity in the future.

Please read on...

In this regard, Japan's Narita Airport Corporation stated that before the Spring Festival of 2019 when Wuhan pneumonia (new coronavirus disease, COVID-19) was prevalent, there were about 370 Chinese flights per week, including Hong Kong and Macau. 40%, and it is expected that the number of tourists from China will not increase significantly this year.

Companies operating railways and sightseeing boats around Hakone said that they found that Chinese tourists accounted for only about 4% of the foreign tourists in the tourist information center last month.

In order to prepare for the welcome, the company started to add simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese language options on the website of the Hakone Transportation Pass last month.

Ichihara Kenta, an employee of Odakyu Hakone Holdings, said that although the number of foreign tourists has gradually returned, it is still uncertain whether it will reach half of the level before the epidemic.

"I hope that Chinese tourists will return as soon as possible, so that Hakone can regain its former bustle."