SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – After years of pandemic-related travel restrictions, tourists can finally start traveling to Japan starting next Tuesday.
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And right now might be a really good time to go to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, according to Scott Keyes, Founder of Scott's Cheap Flights, a travel website.
"Not only is it finally reopened again for individual tourists, for Americans who have either been triple vaccinated or who bring a negative test," he told KCBS Radio’s Holly Quan on Friday.
"But one of the reasons why I think it’s such a great time to visit now or as soon as possible is you're not going to have the same number of tourists over the next month that you will once things start to renormalize," he said.
Keyes experienced this firsthand when he visited Spain last summer just a week or so after the country reopened.
"And what we found was that there were 90% fewer tourists than you would normally expect," he said. "And so you get to experience such an amazing place but without the throngs of tourists."
The Japanese tourism industry has been decimated by the pandemic over the last few years and is only just now starting to bounce back a bit.
Right now, as a result, many hotels are pricing themselves in a very "attractive" way, said Keyes. Hotels, spas, and other hospitality venues have lowered their prices by some 50, 60, or even 70% less than they were before.
The exchange rate between dollars and the Japanese currency Yen is also at a more advantageous point than it would have been in the past.
"It's hard to remember a recent time when it's been better valued to do so, your dollar is going to go extremely far right now," he said.
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