Japan drafts stimulus package to fund domestic tourism campaign

Published on : Tuesday, December 1, 2020

According to a draft of an upcoming package, the Japanese government is planning to keep setting aside money to promote domestic tourism and dining out in its next stimulus package, even as rising COVID-19 infections have prompted concern about the campaigns.

The draft stimulus package also included a plan to set up a fund to encourage investment in green technology. The outline underscores Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s resolve to keep businesses open, even as Japan faces resurgence in coronavirus infections that are rapidly filling up hospital beds. The draft made no mention of the size of stimulus package or its source of funding, which is likely to be finalised in the coming days.

Suga has launched several programmes promoting domestic travel and dining outs, as part of efforts to support retailers hit by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. However, critics have blamed the programmes for spreading the pandemic across Japan by encouraging citizens to travel, instead of asking them to stay home.