Japan eyes `micro' solution to woes
Japan is looking to micro-tourism — short trips to easily reachable destinations — to save its travel industry as the coronavirus pandemic continues to clobber trade. The notion is nothing new in the Asian powerhouse, where ultra-short domestic vacations were the norm in the 1970s when household budgets were tighter. But now micro-tourism is being retooled in the face of a huge drop in foreign visitors amid the health crisis, the Japan Times reports. Yoshiharu Hoshino, the chief executive of Hoshino Resort Co., told Asahi.com that domestic tourism has vast potential for growth and it's time for the hospitality sector to focus on the “pleasures of Japan.” He said: “One of the ways to make the vacation experience better for everyone is to schedule holidays throughout the year ... If we can stagger holidays so the travel industry can rely on a constant number of visitors throughout the year, it would help everyone.” In Gunma Prefecture, in mountainous Honshu Island, the hot springs that typically draw thousands of visitors have stayed open as regional officials cater to the micro-tourism trend.
Guests are being allowed to sleep in their cars at resort parking lots and use the facilities for a small fee without the hassle of checking into a hotel. “The good thing about travelling in this style is that I don't have to go very far to feel like I've left the tired trappings of my existence behind,” wrote one Twitter user of micro-tourism's rebirth. “When that experience is over, however, it only takes a short time to jolt my brain back to reality.”