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 organisers 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 normality.
But it is a big setback for an industry that had high hopes for the Games after a dizzying upswing in business during the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
“I am guessing foreign visitors won’t be allowed until at least September. You have to look…
