The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
National parks, nearby towns count costs of drop in visitors
Japan’s national parks are facing difficulties due to the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has decimated visitor numbers. Attracting more than 300 million visitors in a typical year, the parks have served as pillars of their local economies. This year, however, the number of foreign visitors to Japan has plummeted, and domestic tour groups have almost disappeared. If nothing is done, tour guide jobs and the operation of the parks could be in jeopardy.
A 30-year-old woman from Vancouver had planned to visit Japan for about two weeks before summer. However, she was unable to travel due to the pandemic and had to abandon her trip, during which she had planned to visit the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park to enjoy its hot springs and spectacular views of Mt. Fuji. “The whole world is in crisis, so it can’t be helped. If conditions allow, I would like to come back next year,” she said.
Designated by the Minister of the Environment under the Natural Parks Law, national parks are protected and managed by the central government to preserve areas of outstanding natural beauty. In the United States, national parks are owned by the federal government and are not inhabited, but in Japan, designated areas contain urban districts and private land, where about 700,000 people live. In 1934, the Seto Inland Sea and two other locations were the first areas to be designated as national parks. There are currently 34 such parks in the country.
National parks are regarded as a major tourist attraction overseas and in Japan, whose parks attract more than 300 million visitors a year. In 2016, the
government set a goal of attracting 40 million foreign tourists in 2020, double the number in 2015. National parks were expected to host 10 million foreign tourists.
However, entry to Japan from 159 countries and regions is currently restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of foreign visitors to Japan was about 32 million last year, but it was only 3.95 million from January to July this year. The impact was particularly felt during the summer vacation season in July, when the number of visitors was 3,800, a fall of 99.9% compared to July last year when the figure was about 3 million.
Many parts of the parks were closed, too. This summer, all mountain trails, lodges and other facilities on Mt. Fuji were closed. In other national parks, many mountain lodges closed voluntarily.
A significant decrease in the number of domestic travelers has also seriously affected regional economies.
Nikko National Park is full of sightseeing spots such as temples and shrines. The Nikko City Tourism Association in Tochigi Prefecture estimates tourist facilities lost billions of yen from March to July. About 190,000 students typically visit Nikko on school trips each year from May to July, but the figure was zero this year, according to the association.
“Day-trippers traveling in by car are starting to return, but the number of overnight visitors has not [recovered],” said Eihito Fukuda, managing director of the association.
Hokkaido’s Akan- Mashu National Park is famous for its abundant nature. According to the Lake Mashu Tourism Association in Hokkaido, only about 20% to 30% of accommodations were booked on weekdays from February to August.
“It’s especially difficult for facilities that rely on groups of tourists, such as farms,” said Yasushi Tateda of the association. “For the time being, it is unlikely that we’ll be able to attract foreign visitors, so attracting tourists from within Hokkaido will be key to making up for the shortfall.”
The problem lies in the nature of tourism in national parks. Many tourists visit the parks in groups, traveling in large buses and dining together, all of which make it difficult for visitors to avoid closed spaces, crowded places, and close- contact settings, which increase the risk of infection.
A decline in the number of visitors could lead to the loss of jobs for tour guides and other people who support the operation of national parks.
“The appeal of national parks may be lost, and visitors may not come back for a long time,” a senior Environment Ministry official said.
In April, the ministry earmarked ¥3 billion in a supplementary budget to help tourism operators protect jobs and resume operations after the pandemic.
According to guidelines compiled by a committee comprising groups in the tourism and lodging industry, travelers are being urged to wear masks and wash their hands, and accommodation facilities are being appropriately disinfected and ventilated. However, the prolonged pandemic is likely to force a review of tourism strategies.
“More public funds will be needed to support restaurants and accommodations,” said Hokkaido University Associate Prof. Yusuke Ishiguro, who specializes in tourism management. “As the coronavirus has not been contained, tourist areas should review their current strategies of increasing the number of visitors, plan outdoor events to avoid crowds and consider alternative transportation to group buses.”