As the global pandemic of COVID-19 continues, various measures are being taken to encourage consumption in each country and region to recover the depressed economy. The Japanese government measures the “GoTo Travel” campaign that started on July 22nd to encourage travel. (※Tokyo was excluded from “Go To Travel” because of the large number of people infected with COVID-19, but it became a target from October 1st.) This time, I will explain the whole picture of the “GoTo Campaign.”
The “GoTo Campaign” is a measure to stimulate consumption to support the tourism/transportation industry, event/entertainment industry, restaurant industry, etc., which are in a difficult situation due to the drastic decrease under the influence of COVID-19. According to the government, it is introduced that the campaign will be carried out with a supplementary budget of “1.7 trillion yen”.
The “GoTo Campaign” has the following 4 main components:
1. GoTo Travel
A campaign in which half of the accommodation/day trip price is discounted for domestic trips booked through travel agencies, travel reservation sites, and the direct sales system of accommodation companies. The maximum amount of support is 20,000 yen per person per night and 10,000 yen for a day trip. 70% of the support amount is deducted from the travel price, and the remaining 30% is for food and drink, tourist facilities, and souvenirs at the travel destination. It is given as a “regional common coupon” that can be used when purchasing.
GoTo Travel is a campaign for domestic travelers residing in Japan. Therefore, foreign visitors to Japan are not included, but foreign residents in Japan are eligible.
2. GoTo Eat
If you make a reservation via 15 sites of 13 companies such as “GuruNavi” and “Tabelog,” visit the store, and pay after eating and drinking, you will receive points that can be used on the same site from the next time onwards.
The amount granted is 500 yen × number of people for lunch (until 3:00 pm) and 1000 yen × number of people for dinner (after 3:00 pm). However, the maximum amount that can be granted at one time is 10,000 yen for 10 people. Points are attached to the person who made the reservation. There will be points for eating and drinking until the end of January 2021, and the expiration date will be the end of March 2021. It will end as soon as the budget of 76.7 billion yen runs out.
3. GoTo Event
If you purchase an event or entertainment ticket during the campaign period through a ticket sales company, you will get a 20% discount on the price, or you will be given a coupon or points equivalent to 20%. This includes music concerts, museums, amusement parks, movie theaters, and sports games.
4. GoTo Shopping Street
A campaign to support initiatives such as holding events, promoting, and developing tourism products in the shopping district to regain its vitality. Basically, the government supports up to 3 million yen per shopping district.
