What Is Go To Travel & How To Get the Most Out of It

The Go To Travel campaign is a Japanese government subsidy to revive domestic travel and help stimulate the economy through domestic tourism, which has declined since the pandemic.

You can now save up to 50% on domestic travel under this program, giving you a chance to explore everything Japan has to offer and satisfy your wanderlust on a budget.

A little travel will not only rejuvenate your soul, it will also support small businesses, such as hotels and restaurants in cities and further afield, that are ready and willing to welcome travelers back.

In this article, we will cover the details of the discount that this program offers, how to apply for the discounts, the eligibility criteria, and other useful information so that you can plan your next domestic trip with ease.

Who is eligible?

• All residents in Japan are eligible for this campaign. However, tourists from overseas who are visiting Japan are not eligible.

• Group trips are also eligible for discounts.

• There are no restrictions regarding the number of trips during the campaign period.

•  The maximum subsidy is up to 20,000 yen per person, per night.

What is the duration of validity?

The Go To Travel campaign commenced on July 22nd for everyone excluding Tokyo residents. Beginning October 1st and valid until January 31st, it became available to all Japan residents including residents of Tokyo. 

What are the discounts?

There are two types of discounts available under this program:

• Up to 35% discount is available for transportation & hotels. These discounts can be obtained when booking through designated agencies, hotels, and airlines.

• The remainder of the 15% discount is issued in the form of regional coupons to spend at the destination you will travel to. The website through which you book your trip will provide these regional coupons.

Hotels.com and Expedia.com currently do not offer Go To Travel discounts. 

But don't worry, here is a list of travel websites where the discount applies:

• Rakuten Travel 

• Yahoo Travel 

• Jalan

• Ikyu

• Agoda

• Booking.com

• Trivago 

• JTB

• HIS

• Rurubu Travel 

• J-Trip 

• Trip.com

• Sky Pack Tours

• Yuko Yuko

• Yumeyado

• Kinki Nihon Tourist

• Nihon Travel Agency 

• JR

• JAL 

• AirTrip 

Which site is the best to book?

Our top recommendations are these four travel sites for your next domestic trip:

• Rakuten Travel 

• Yahoo Travel 

• Jalan

• Ikyu

Initially, the program and discounts were only open to Japan-based companies. Now that international travel sites such as Booking.com and Agoda have joined this campaign, they're offering slightly different discount rates from Japanese sites. 

How will the discounts be applied? 

The discounted amount is already reflected on the website at the time of booking. Depending on how much you spend on airfare and hotels, the amount of regional coupons issued will vary.

The Go To Travel campaign applies to trips booked through designated travel agencies, so when you're choosing a travel agency or a travel booking website to plan your trip, make sure to select one where the Go To Travel discounts are applicable.

Once you book through an agency or travel website where the discount applies, you don't need to apply to the government for a refund as the prices are already discounted.