Key facts
- Japan will launch a travel subsidy program for the Kyushu region to aid recovery from a recent earthquake.
- The subsidy will cover accommodation and tour costs across all seven prefectures of Kyushu.
- The government plans to release 147.8 billion yen ($927 million) from reserve funds to finance the package.
- Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are scheduled to visit Kumamoto prefecture to meet with affected communities.
- Domestic visitors to Kumamoto Prefecture fell 23% from Aug. 1-7 compared to the previous year.
- Accommodation cancellations in Kumamoto reached 2.7 billion yen.
The Japanese government has decided to implement a nationwide travel subsidy program for the Kyushu region to revitalize tourism following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture last month. The plan, approved at an emergency disaster response headquarters meeting on August 27, 2026, aims to mitigate the severe impact on the tourism industry and support local businesses.
The subsidy will cover accommodation and tour costs across all seven prefectures of Kyushu. Government sources indicated a maximum discount rate of 60% for facilities in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures, with the remaining five prefectures capped at 50%. The Cabinet is expected to approve the release of 147.8 billion yen ($927 million) from the fiscal 2026 budget to fund this initiative. Similar campaigns were previously used to aid recovery after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake and the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.
In addition to the travel discounts, the government will support dining out demand in Kumamoto as an interim measure. The earthquake's impact on tourism has been significant, with the Kyushu Economic Research Center reporting a 23% decrease in domestic visitors to Kumamoto Prefecture between August 1 and 7 compared to the previous year, totaling around 672,000. Accommodation cancellations had reached approximately 2.7 billion yen as of the previous Friday, according to prefectural data.
The broader aid package also includes subsidies for repairing wells, rebuilding homes, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses. The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency stated that 75% of restoration costs for factories and production machinery will be subsidized, with businesses affected by multiple past disasters receiving full subsidies for certain costs.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are scheduled to visit Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday to meet with families who have lost homes and businesses and are currently in temporary accommodation, a visit that travel companies hope will further boost recovery efforts.