Kyoto launches an ’empty tourism’ campaign amid coronavirus outbreak
But as the coronavirus outbreak keeps visitors away from the historic streets of Japan’s former capital, a group of shopkeepers has launched an “empty tourism” campaign to lure them back.
Merchants from five shopping streets in Kyoto’s Arashiyama neighborhood — a popular tourist district on the western outskirts of the city that’s filled with temples and shrines — have devised an advertising campaign dubbed “suitemasu Arashiyama,” which translates to “empty Arashiyama” or “there are few people around in Arashiyama.”
嵐山おもてなしキャンペーン
～スイてます嵐山・今こそ！おこしやす～
嵐山の５つの商店街が合同でキャンペーン。
比較的閑散期でもあり、またコロナウィルスの影響で通常より来訪者が少ない今！
ゆったりと嵐山を訪問してもらい、各お店もいつも以上のおもてなしの心でお迎えするキャンペーン pic.twitter.com/ZoQtE8PR0M— 嵯峨嵐山おもてなしビジョン推進協議会 (@sagaarashiyamao) February 14, 2020
The posters created for the campaign showcase how any would-be travelers could have the district’s most-visited spots all to themselves.
It does so by showing images of four popular tourist sites in Arashiyama with a tongue-in-cheek message for each one.
One poster shows a monkey with the caption: “It’s been a while since there were more monkeys than humans.” Underneath, there’s a photo of Togetsukyo Bridge — normally crowded with Instagrammers — with no tourists about. Another depicts Arayshiyama’s beautiful bamboo grove accompanied with several hashtags, including “#nopeople” and “#nowisthetime.”
