Monday, October 10, 2011

Desperate Japan offers tourists 10,000 FREE flights in bid to boost ailing tourism industry

TOKYO - Japan is planning to offer free return flights to 10,000 foreign tourists next year as it tries to rebuild its tourism industry after March's tsunami and nuclear disasters, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Monday.

To apply for the flights, foreign visitors will be required to submit online applications, including details of where they plan to visit, the newspaper reported, citing preliminary plans.

Successful entrants will be asked to fill in a questionnaire after their trip, and write a report about their experiences to be posted online. The scheme is expected to come into force next year, subject to government approval.

Japan's tourism industry suffered in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and the subsequent disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Visitor numbers fell 50 percent on a yearly comparison in the first three months after the nuclear disaster, and were down more than 30 percent year-on-year during the summer, AFP reported citing government figures.

Read more: yomiuri.co.jp

http://www.myfoxdc.com

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

No comments:

Post a Comment