Workations are one of the ways the Japanese government is hoping to help the local tourism industry recover from the after effects of the restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as ワーケーション in Japanese, getaways that combine business with leisure could become more popular in the coming months.
Though the concept of a workation is not new, the increase in remote working (referred to as teleworking in Japan) and subsidized travel initiatives like the Go To Travel campaign could make workations more feasible for many residents.
According to NHK News, the Japanese government, which has urged businesses to allow 70% of employees to work from home in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19, will take measures to popularize workations across the country, mentioning hot spring areas as an example of where people might like to go. To this end, the government reportedly might help hotels and ryokans get their wifi up to business standards.
The government is also looking to bolster high-end hotels for not-so-cheapo international tourists in the future, according to NHK.
Ed’s note: If you’re keen to take a workation, you can always rent a pocket wifi router if the place you plan to stay at doesn’t have much in the way of internets. You might want to read about renting a car too. We’re probably preaching to the choir here, but if you are considering travel, be sure to follow travel guidelines and take all the necessary precautions to avoid making the pandemic worse.
While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change.
