The Signs

New Directions in Post-COVID Tourism

A concerted national effort to attract foreign travelers was dealt a crushing blow by COVID-19, but a new trend is emerging across Japan. Micro-tourism, or visiting nearby areas without traveling far from home, is the key concept in the spotlight. New forms of tourism for the post-pandemic era, like renewal of tourist attractions for locals to enjoy, community trash pickup efforts that create a virtuous cycle, and universal design using self-driving mobility.