TOKYO-Toshiko Ishii spent $180,000 renovating her traditional Japanese inn in expectation of a flood of tourists for the Tokyo Olympics, but now she won’t be hosting a single overseas fan.
After Olympics organizers announced a ban on spectators from abroad, those working in Japan’s tourism industry are counting their losses.
Experts say the impact will be limited compared to the much larger blow brought by the pandemic, adding there is hope that tourism will rebound as life moves towards normalcy.