The Japanese government has launched the Go To Travel Campaign to encourage people to travel around Japan from July 22nd, 2020 onwards. This is a great opportunity to travel cheap in Japan! This campaign is not for international travelers but only for residents in Japan. So if you already live in Japan, why not go for a trip around Japan with the Go To Travel Campaign? In this article, we will explain what the Go To Travel Campaign is and how to travel cheap with it!
What is the Go To Travel Campaign?
The Go To Campaign consists of 4 different campaigns which will support the industries which have been severely affected by COVID-19 such as travel, food, entertainment industries etc. Go To Travel Campaign is one of these campaigns and the government will cover half of the domestic travel costs up to ¥20,000 per person per day (up to ¥10,000 for a day trip) by issuing coupons which are worth 15% of travel costs (up to a total of ¥6,000 per day) which you can use at the restaurant, other facilities or transportation etc, and giving 35% off discount on the travel package.
There is no limit for the number of traveling with the campaign, so you can repeatedly travel at a half price in Japan during the campaign. It’s been suspended since March in 2021, but the government is now considering resuming the campaign in autumn 2021.
We’ll update the latest information accordingly when the official announcement is made.
How does the Go To Travel Campaign work?
It is basically a package deal and the campaign will cover half of the travel costs up to ¥20,000 per person per day. About 70% of reimbursement is actual discount on the package and about 30% of it is with coupons that you can use for gift shops, restaurants, amusement parks and transportation.
- If your travel package costs ¥20,000, you can save half of the cost which is ¥10,000 with the campaign. You will pay ¥13,000 for your trip but you will get coupons with a total value of ¥3,000. With that, you can save ¥10,000 in total.
- If your travel cost is ¥50,000, a half of the costs will be ¥25,000, however, the reimbursement is up to ¥20,000 per day. So you will pay ¥36,000 of the total costs and will get coupons with a total value of ¥6,000. With the coupons, eventually you can save ¥20,000 in total.
How to use Go To Travel Coupons
How to apply for the Go To Travel Campaign
Book a package via travel agencies or book the accommodation directly.
If you book a package via travel agency, accommodations and transportation (trains, highway fee, airplane, bus etc.) will be included but if you book accommodations directly, transportation will be excluded from the discount. But either way, you will get coupons.
The discount is not only valid for the accommodation but also if you book overnight transportation such as a cruise ship, the overnight ferry or a sleeper train (excluding overnight transportation that only offers seats), you can get a discount for those too. If you want to go on a day trip, the campaign will cover your transportation fee + food or activities.
Website you can book Go To Travel Campaign:
JTB(in Japanese)
Jalan net(in Japanese)
FAQ
If you have any questions about coupons, please read these articles first!
–Everything you need to know about Go To Travel Campaign Coupons (General)
–The best way to use go to Travel Campaign Coupons in the popular destinations
Q. Is the hotel for the quarantine also included for the Go To Travel Campaign?
It can be used for the quarantine hotel if you are a resident visa holder. Basically only the Japan resident can use the Go To Travel Campaign. But not every hotel accepts the quarantine, so please check with the hotel before you make a booking.
If you are an international traveler and look for the quarantine hotel, please check this website for more information (Self-Isolation Japan.com)
Q. How can we get coupons?
Please check this article! (Where can you receive the coupons?)
Q. If I want to stay for a couple of nights at my friend’s house, can I still use the Go To Travel Campaign?
As long as you stay at the hotel on the same day of your arrival, your trip can be applied partly for the Go To Travel Campaign. For example, if you go on a trip for 3 nights 4 days and you stay at the hotel for the first night and stay at your friend’s house for the rest of your trip, it’s considered as a 1 night 2 days trip for the Go To Travel Campaign and you will get the discount for it. However, if you only stay at your friend’s house, it is not applicable for the Go To Travel Campaign at all.
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Happy travelling!
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Comments
Great article!
“[…]If you already made a booking for your trip before the campaign started, you can still apply the discount if you went on a trip between July 22nd to August 31st. “ 🤓 I checked the indicated website to apply online and unfortunately it looks like the application deadline for this was 14 September. Does anyone know of this is the case or if there is another way of applying still? Thank you.
Hi Rashomon-san,
Thank you for pointing it out, and that’s correct, the deadline for the application was September 14th.
Sorry we haven’t updated with that information. We updated on the article as well.
I was going to request a motel quote using Go To Travel. However, found the information requested to be intrusive and not required for just my asking for a quote.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your message. In terms of the price for accomodation: you can check the prices of the hotel online yourself and add our service fee to the amount. However, we cannot only book your accommodation, as a travel agency we need to sell packages (transportation & accommodation + optional activities). If you are looking to only book a motel I recommend you do this yourself (as this is the cheapest way). For the actual booking we need to collect some information such as proof of living in Japan (and being able to make use of the Go To Travel campaign) and keep it on file. That’s why we ask for a copy of your residence card. Hope we could clarify some things for you, otherwise please send us an email or reply here again.