JAPAN: Kyushu Quakes Hit Region’s Tourism Sector

Tourism officials are increasingly concerned that a recent series of powerful earthquakes that have rattled central Kyushu could affect visitor numbers to the region.

Although the latest tourism data released Wednesday by the Japan Tourism Agency showed a continued rise in the number of foreign tourists arriving in March, the Kumamoto earthquakes will likely hit the government’s tourism drive hard.

The March data showed the number of foreign visitors to Japan surged 31.7 percent on-year to a record 2.01 million, marking the first time the monthly figure has surpassed 2 million.

Following the Kumamoto quake, however, the Chinese Consulate General in Fukuoka on Saturday warned Chinese citizens not to travel to Kumamoto, which was hit hardest by the quakes, and advised them to be careful in making trips to other parts of Kyushu.

Hong Kong authorities have also issued a caution for travel to Kumamoto.

Chinese travelers have brought great benefits to Japan’s tourism and other related industries partly through their bakugai (explosive buying) sprees.

As of Thursday afternoon, 48 fatalities have been directly linked to the quakes, with a further 11 deaths in Kumamoto Prefecture attributed to quake-related issues such as illness, stress and fatigue.

Foreigners have already started canceling their reservations at hotels in Kyushu.

An official at a major travel agency said it was difficult to forecast the course of demand because it remained to be seen at what pace restoration of transportation networks, such as roads and railways, will proceed.

After the quakes, Hotel Nikko Fukuoka received some 100 cancellations from foreigners, including those who had planned to travel around Kyushu.

Nippon Travel Agency Co. faced a rush of requests from foreigners who were scheduled to visit the three Kyushu prefectures of Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Fukuoka. Such requests included an extended stay in Kagoshima and changes in sightseeing plans in Kumamoto.

JAPAN: Holidays To Kyushu, Japan Suspended After Earthquake

Organized trips to Kyushu were canceled by travel agencies, following the recent powerful earthquake

The 6.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Japan on April 14 has already affected tour operators providing trips in the region.

Full refund or alternatives were offered to the travelers planning to visit the southwestern island of Japan. Also, a travel warning was issued, advising holiday-makers to avoid visiting Kyushu.

For safety reasons, travel operator Ctrip has suspended trips to Kyushu and Kumamoto and has changed routes and schedules for the organized tours in the area.

Tuniu, an on-line travel agency, warned tourists visiting the island be cautious and also applies the free cancellation policy for Kumamoto until April 22, due to the high number of bookings for this destination.

Tongcheng is another agency that made routes adjustments to avoid potential hazards when visiting Japan.

Moreover, airlines have announced full refunds or free change of travel dates for air tickets until April 30. China Southern Airlines and Air China will apply this policy for all routes between China and Fukuoka.

JAPAN: Volcano Erupts In Southern Japan

Mount Aso, a volcano on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, has erupted, sending huge plumes of black and then white smoke 2 000m into the air.

The eruption on Monday prompted authorities to raise the alert level for the area, banning people from approaching within 2km of the volcano's mouth.

There are no homes within that area and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The national television network NHK cited local police as saying they had safety evacuated people from a ropeway station on the mountain and were having other visitors move to lower elevations. Police were still checking to see if any hikers were in the restricted area.

Some flights to the nearby city of Kumamoto were diverted due to the ash pumped into the air by the eruption.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the eruption fired bits of volcanic rock, smoke and steam into the air. It was unclear if there was any volcanic flow from the mountain.

"This could happen a few times," Yasuaki Sudo, a researcher at the Aso Volcano Museum, told NHK. "The most important thing is to stay out of the danger zone."

The Japanese archipelago sits atop the Pacific "ring of fire" and has more than 100 volcanoes. Mount Aso had a smaller eruption in August and eruptions in 2014 that disrupted tourism in the area.

During the summer, authorities closed part of a popular hot springs about 80km from Tokyo because of fears of an eruption of Mount Hakone, which is southeast of Mount Fuji.

The eruption last September of another volcano, Mount Ontake in central Japan, killed 57 people