Abstract
This study aims to clarify citizens’ attitudes to tourism after the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency in four famous tourist destinations in Japan; Kyoto, Kamakura, Kawagoe and Kanazawa. All four cities have suffered from over-tourism for many years. For citizens who are not related to the tourism industry, the loss of tourists could free them from the consequences of over-tourism, which have negatively affected their daily lives badly. An internet-based survey regarding changes in attitudes towards tourism was conducted, and about 1400 samples were collected. Statistical analysis showed a high correlation between those who gained positive social effect from tourism before the pandemic with those who have a positive attitude about tourism recovery; interestingly, those who were negative about tourism before the COVID-19 pandemic were not strongly correlated with those who have negative attitudes to tourism in the future.
