Japan All Set to Resume Short-Term and Long-Term Business Travel with South Korea

Japan and South Korea are all set to reopen short-term and long-term business travel as early as this week, the Nikkei Asia reported. This move is intended at helping Japan as well as South Korea’s economies which suffered a dent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If travelers are visiting for a short-term, then they need not quarantine for two weeks and show proof of a negative coronavirus test along with a travel itinerary upon entering the other country reported the Japanese portal. And those who are willing to stay for the long-term can enter the country with a coronavirus negative along with two weeks of self-isolation. The arrangement is expected to take effect as soon as this month. Japan had shut its borders for travellers in the month of April due to the massive spread of Coronavirus and to curb the disease in the country and the world. Seoul also prohibited travel from Japan, except for the long-term residents, said the report. The Japanese government is also hopeful that this move will help the two countries to improve ties there were strained by issues including compensation for forced wartime labour and export restrictions, it added. South Korea is likely to become the second country after Singapore to establish a business travel bubble with Japan, which applies to both short- and long-term trips. As of now, Japan has formed mutual travel agreements with nine Asian countries and regions: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Taiwan, Singapore, and Brunei. Reportedly, talks are underway with China, though no agreement has been reached. It seems that International travel for Japan is all set to pick up which means that the country will also need to upswing their testing capacity. The Japanese government looks to double the capacity at regional airports.

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