Japan’s travel curbs choke off chance for tourism recovery on weak yen

日本的旅行限制扼殺旅遊業靠日圓疲軟的復甦機會

【摘要2022.9.16.五.自由】◎張沛元

Japan further relaxed its infection border controls on Wednesday, but its insistence on visitor visas means the yen’s plunge won’t translate to a tourism boom any time soon.

日本週三進一步放寬防疫邊境管制，然其堅持（外國旅客事先申請）旅遊簽證，意味日圓的走跌短期內無法轉化為旅遊業的興盛。

The government raised the daily ceiling of inbound travelers to 50,000 from 20,000 and scrapped a requirement for visitors as well as returning residents to undergo pre-departure COVID-19 tests, easing what have been the most restrictive border measures among major economies.

（日本）政府將每日入境旅客人數上限從2萬調升至5萬，也取消訪客與返日居民行前必須做武肺篩檢的要求，放寬向來堪稱主要經濟體中限制最多的邊境措施。

Travel bookings have increased since the easing was announced last month, but a true recovery will be delayed as long as visitors are still required to get visas to enter the country, said Japan Airlines Co. executive Koji Masumura.

日本航空高層增村浩二表示，旅行預訂自上月宣布鬆綁（邊境管制）以來已有所增加，但只要遊客仍需取得簽證才能入境日本，旅遊業不會真正復甦。

新聞辭典

curb：動詞／名詞，控制；限制，約束；抑制。例句：The mayor announced steps taken to curb crimes in the city. （市長宣布為遏止該市犯罪所採取的步驟。）

choke off：片語，中止，避免，扼殺。例句：High prices have choked off demand.（高價格扼殺需求。）

translate：動詞，翻譯，轉化，意味著。