(Yicai Global) Jan. 10 -- Japan’s tourism sector -- everything from hotels and hot springs to bullet trains and souvenirs -- stands ready to welcome back Chinese visitors after a three-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re still waiting for the day when Chinese tourists will return,” an official in the publicity department of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, told Yicai Global.

JATA’s 1,100 members look forward “especially for Chinese group tours, which will be like a shot in the arm for the recovery of the Japanese tourism industry.” the person said.

The pandemic has crushed visitor numbers to the country. Japan accepted 16.8 million tourists from China in 2019, accounting for almost 53 percent of all international visitors to the country. But the figure tumbled to 4.1 million in 2020 and just 246,000 in 2021.

Although Japan has been issuing tourist visas to Chinese people, entering the country is still more challenging than in pre-pandemic times, as visitors from China need to meet new requirements.

The Japanese government has dialed up requirements for arrivals from China since Jan. 8, making a negative polymerase chain reaction test or antigen test result for Covid-19 necessary on arrival or a 72-hour negative PCR test certificate. And airlines have been asked to limit the number of flights between the two countries.

Japan’s tourism industry also suffers from a labor shortage. The head of NAA Retailing, the duty-free shop operator at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, said it is looking forward to the return of tourists from China, adding that it will hire Chinese-speaking staff if there is a significant increase in travelers from the country.

Editor: Martin Kadiev