by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:47 AM ET, Mon July 26, 2021
As the 2020 Summer Olympics heat up in Tokyo, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Japanese tourism remains a focal point for locals and government officials.
According to The Associated Press, Japanese Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa confirmed earlier this month that no spectators would be permitted to attend Tokyo 2020, a devastating ruling for tourist attractions and local businesses prepared for a spending frenzy.
The Japanese economy shrank 4.8 percent in 2020 due to the pandemic, a huge drop only complicated by the $15.4 billion cost to host the Summer Games. Before the coronavirus outbreak, Tokyo expected to welcome over 40 million foreign visitors for the 2020 Olympics.
The Tokyo Games were just the first phase of a larger economic restoration project that saw tourism officials in Japan targeting 60 million annual visitors by 2030, but the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing outbreak has impacted those plans, according to BBC.com.
"At a time of continuing travel uncertainty and chaos globally due to the ongoing pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics offers a glimmer of hope for the future for inbound travel to Japan," Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Management Dr. Alan Fyall said. "The protocols in place are holding firm for the vast majority of athletes while the world is able to see the unique beauty of Japan through the vast media coverage."
"The global reach of these positive images of athlete heroics, emotions and successes will help contribute to longer-term benefits for the Japanese tourism industry and introduce the country and its attractions to many who previously would have been unaware of its unique touristic appeal," Fyall continued.
While international spectators would not be welcomed into the country ahead of the Olympics, Japan has set up a coronavirus safety bubble for thousands of journalists covering the Summer Games.
The journalists who are part of the "escorted and controlled tour" program signed a pledge to never stray from the group, not talk to residents and follow all instructions, with those who violate the rules being deported from the nation.
Japan's tourism ministry is hoping when consumer confidence returns and non-essential international travel is once again deemed safe, the aggressive tourism development strategies implemented ahead of the Olympics will help bring people back to the island, according to The Guardian.
The benefits of tourism development related to the Summer Games in the short and long-term are undeniable in a traditional cycle, but the uncertainty surrounding Tokyo due to the COVID-19 outbreak has created an unprecedented situation for the national government.
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