Travel/Tourism
Japanese Visitors to Macau Face Restrictions
China has recently imposed restrictions on Japanese tourists. The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo announced the move on January 10th, shortly after threatening to retaliate against countries that further restricted Chinese entry. The Chinese Embassy in Seoul made the same announcement at the same time, subjecting visitors from South Korea to the same outcome.
The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo announced the change on its website, stating that standard visas for Japanese citizens have been suspended.
It went on to state that no date has been set for when visa issuance will resume, and that more information would be provided later. The embassy was adamant that the visa suspension would continue until the entry restrictions imposed on China were lifted.
Japan’s Role in the Situation
Japan instigated the punitive move on January 9th, when it announced that people flying in from Macau would be required to provide a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test. The Japanese government tightened border controls in preparation for an increase in visitors from mainland China to Japan via Macau during the Lunar New Year holiday, which began on January 22nd.
The administration saw adding Macau to the list of visitors requiring negative tests as a necessary precaution, given that China is facing a possible countrywide spike in COVID-19 cases after relaxing internal restrictions. Previously, Japan allowed direct flights from Macau, and visitors from the People’s Republic of China’s Special Administrative Region did not have to undergo a PCR-RT test like the rest of China.
Visitors from China are now required under the new rule to submit a certificate of a negative test taken no more than 72 hours before leaving Macau. Entry restrictions for Macau residents into Japan did not sit well with the Chinese government, prompting the recent retaliation.
China’s Response
The Chinese government’s response stems from recent efforts to revitalize the Chinese economy and mitigate the social consequences of lockdowns. China lifted several major aspects of its strict zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy and opened its borders toward the end of 2022. The COVID-19 policy had aided China’s goal of combating COVID-19 by keeping the number of cases low.
The lockdown measures had shrunk the country’s economy by interfering with its global supply chains. This effect, combined with a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases, prompted China to relax policy and open the country up to international trade.
China is offended that some countries are imposing discriminatory entry restrictions on Chinese visitors, despite the fact that COVID-19 cases have decreased significantly and China has reopened its borders to visitors from other countries. Beijing is especially enraged that Japan has tightened restrictions on the strategically located Macau.
The People’s Republic of China’s Special Administrative Region is one of the most vibrant gaming destinations, and it can significantly help China stimulate its economy.
As there are no casinos in Japan, those who want to gamble must either travel to neighboring countries with casinos or play at online casinos. Macau offers a one-of-a-kind combination of breathtaking scenery, luxurious casinos, and easy access from Japan.
Ineffective Countermeasures
Tightening travel restrictions for Macau visitors is akin to putting the city’s revitalization on hold. The movement of Japanese gamblers and revelers to and from Macau is essential to the city’s survival.
However, with China’s decision to reciprocate the travel restrictions, Macau faces an even greater threat. Prior to the blockade, Japanese visitors could freely visit Macau. However, as a result of the restrictions, Japanese visitors are no longer permitted to visit Macau, depriving the administrative region of the potential benefits of Japanese tourists. Japanese visitors to Macau will miss out on the fun, but Macau will also suffer economically.
China is going through a difficult period because several other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, have tightened their border controls for people traveling from China. Despite the enormous success in bringing the numbers down, China claims that these actions only serve to further the stigma that it has been subject to ever since the pandemic began.
However, it still stands to benefit from its decision to weaken the COVID-19 policy because it has opened the door to numerous other opportunities. Some countries, including Singapore and Vietnam, have lifted COVID-19-related restrictions to allow Chinese visitors easier access and increase flight capacity.
Summary
In response to Japan’s increased border control measures imposed to mitigate the anticipated influx of visitors from mainland China, the Chinese government quickly took action to limit Japanese tourists. This has far-reaching consequences for China-Japan relations and the global economy, especially for Japanese gamblers who favor Macau’s casinos but must now look for alternative options. With China’s successful containment of COVID-19, it is possible that the stalemate between these two countries will soon come to an end.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A travel card designed for tourists, business visitors, Diaspora returnees has been launched by Verve in partnership with Providus Bank.
Known as the ProvidusVerve Travel Card, the Naira-based travel card will allow inbound travellers to enjoy a smooth, secure, and convenient payment experience throughout their stay in Nigeria. It was powered by Verve’s secure.
Created to support the surge of tourists, expatriates, business visitors, conference delegates, and returning diaspora expected during the festive Detty December season, the ProvidusVerve Travel Card enables seamless payments for transportation, hotels, dining, shopping, entertainment, and everyday essentials nationwide.
The card also works on select global merchant platforms that accept Verve, including Netflix, Google Play, and other digital services, ensuring travellers enjoy uninterrupted access to familiar services.
The ProvidusVerve Travel Card eliminates the hassle of sourcing naira or converting foreign currency on arrival. It enables instant, secure transactions, reduces reliance on cash, and supports compliance with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It also mitigates the risks associated with carrying physical cash such as loss, theft, or fraud, offering a safe, regulation-aligned option for both online and in-person payments.
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card is a timely solution for inbound travellers seeking reliability, security, and simplicity while navigating Nigeria.
“Together with Providus Bank, we have created a product that eliminates the friction traditionally associated with accessing local payments.
“Whether for tourism, business, or festive activities, this card ensures a smooth financial experience from the moment visitors land,” the Vice President for Issuing and Acquiring Management for Africa at Verve International, Mr Paul Ohakim, stated.
On his part, the Divisional Head for Product Management and Solution Delivery at Interswitch, Mr Ademola Adeniran, described the partnership as a reflection of “Verve’s commitment to designing products that respond to real user needs.”
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card supports everyday experiences — from booking rides and hotels to shopping, streaming, and dining. It provides inbound travellers with a secure, compliant, digital-first way to experience Nigeria without financial barriers,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the federal government may recover and sell the assets of Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.
The Minister disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Ministry’s fourth quarter stakeholders’ engagement to enhance governance for effective service delivery in aviation.
Speaking at the event themed “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be directed to probe why funds trapped by the airline are yet to be refunded.
He revealed that the authority suspended the operations of the airline as a matter of choice between safety and disaster.
“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as priority. The priority was safety, and we all looked at the damning reports that we had met on the table.
“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk. If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.”
According to him, “I have asked Najomo (NCAA director general) to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that.
“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first.
“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.
“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it has imposed a N5 million penalty on Qatar Airways for consumer protection violations.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, on X, adding that there may be other sanctions depending on how the airline treats other cases.
“Glad to announce that, today, the NCAA has sanctioned @qatarairways to the tune of five million naira being penalty for consumer protection-related infractions. In addition, the letters of investigation (LOI) written to the airline over other cases may lead to further sanctions if not treated satisfactorily,” Mr Achimugu wrote.
The fine followed an incident when a Nigerian passenger was accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of sexual harassment during boarding in Lagos for a flight to the United States via Doha, Qatar.
The allegation was only reported in Doha, where the passenger was arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and compelled to sign a document written solely in Arabic.
Qatar Airways allegedly refused to continue his journey, forcing him to purchase another ticket at considerable financial and reputational cost.
The NCAA said it invited Qatar Airways’ country manager to a meeting over the incident, but he failed to attend, sending subordinates instead.
“I understand that some countries do not have advanced aviation consumer protection regulations like Nigeria does. In certain cases, some countries don’t even have any. This creates a situation where airlines operating out of those countries (mostly national carriers) act with disdain towards consumer protection enforcement in Nigeria.
“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for ANY Airlines not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA. It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” Mr Achimugu said in an earlier post.
In September, the NCAA accused Qatar Airways of mistreating Nigerian passengers and failing to comply with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The regulator then threatened stiff penalties against the airline for repeatedly disregarding its directives.
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