An ’empty tourism’ campaign by Arashiyama based merchants near Kyoto shows how famous hotspots are suffering due to the coronavirus outbreak. By Tanvi Jain
Kyoto, a tourist hub known for its Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, gardens, imperial palaces, and more, now lies empty due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus. The negative impact on the otherwise crowded city’s tourism industry has severely affected the economy as well. Therefore, in an attempt to recover from the ongoing losses, a group of shopkeepers from the Arashiyama neighbourhood – another district popular for its temples and shrines — has launched an ad campaign called suitemasu Arashiyama, which means ‘empty Arashiyama’, or ‘there are few people around in Arashiyama’.
The poster for the campaign shows pictures of how famous tourist spots are so vacant that travellers can enjoy the entire space to themselves. Bearing the brunt of falling tourism, shopkeepers in the region hope the campaign works in their favour. They even claim they will welcome tourists with more hospitality than ever before. Moreover, at least 300 posters will be put at various shopping streets in Kyoto, including the nearby travel hub of Hankyu Osaka-umeda Station in Osaka.
The posters will show four images, each accompanied by a message. In one, there is a picture of a monkey which reads, “There haven’t been more monkeys than humans in a long time.” In another, an image of the famous bamboo groves in Arashiyama comes with hashtags like, #BambooGrove, #Arashiyama, #NoPeople, #NowIsTheTime, and #Emotional. Similarly, another image of Arashiyama’s famous Togetsu-kyō Bridge reads, “Crossing easily…excuse me…” The last poster has a picture of the Hozugawa River Cruises which says, “If you come now, you can go down the river as many times as you like without waiting.”
Following the coronavirus outbreak, the entire country, as well as other parts of Asia, have seen a drastic fall in the percentage of tourist population, especially due to the travel ban imposed by China to fight against the virus.
Related: A Day-Long Guide To The Gorgeous Arashiyama District Of Kyoto In Japan
