ＧｏＴｏ、キャンセル料補償　事業者の損失穴埋め、世論批判で方針転換―赤羽国交相

　赤羽一嘉国土交通相は２１日の閣議後記者会見で、新型コロナウイルス対策で実施する旅行需要喚起策「Ｇｏ　Ｔｏ　トラベル」に関し、東京を除外したことで相次いでいる旅行のキャンセル料を補償する方針を正式発表した。事業者に対し、顧客にキャンセル料を請求しないよう求め、発生する実際の損失相当分を国が支払う。当初は補償しないと説明していたが、世論の批判を受け、方針転換した格好だ。
　対象は、政府がキャンペーンの開始日を発表した今月１０日から、東京除外を決めた１７日までに予約した旅行。赤羽氏は補償に伴い、追加費用が発生することについて「事業を円滑に進めていくために必要な費用だ」と述べた。
　旅行・宿泊業者にキャンセル料を取らないよう求め、すでに受け取っていた場合は請求があれば返金してもらう。事業者はキャンセルによる損失分を還付申請する。（2020/07/21-12:21）

Japanese tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said Tuesday that the government will cover travel cancellation fees over its revised "Go To Travel" campaign aimed at shoring up the domestic tourism sector, hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic.
   The announcement came after the government's decision last week to exclude trips to or from Tokyo for the time being from a travel subsidy program under the campaign triggered a spate of cancellations of travel bookings.
   Although the government had initially explained that it had no plans to compensate for travel cancellations following the revision to the subsidy program, it changed this stance in the face of public criticism.
   In light of a recent rise in coronavirus infections in Tokyo, the government announced the decision last Friday to exclude trips to or from Tokyo from the subsidy program, which is designed to partly cover tourists' costs.
   According to Akaba at a press conference on Tuesday, the government will shoulder fees for cancelling travel bookings made between July 10, when the government announced the start on Wednesday this week of the Go To Travel campaign, and last Friday.