How is Japan tour affected after earthquake and aviation incident?

Japanese tour groups are still safe

According to the latest report from the Japanese Cabinet Office, more than 150 strong earthquakes and one plane crash have caused significant damage to the country, especially around the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Immediately after Japan suffered a natural disaster, Japan Tourism issued warnings and instructions as well as support for tourists. Vietnamese travel agencies with tour groups in Japan also immediately updated information to reassure tourists.

Currently, Vietnamese tourist groups traveling to Japan are still safe.

On January 4, Vietravel Tourism Company said that at the time of the earthquakes, the company had 500 customers visiting different cities in Japan, of which about 20 customers were visiting the ancient village of Shirakawago, Gifu province, about 350km from Tokyo. Most of the tourist groups had schedules to visit major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Mount Fuji, Matsuyama, Nagoya, all located in the southeastern region of Japan, so they were not much affected or only felt slight aftershocks of the earthquakes.

A representative of Vietravel Company said that currently, all passengers are still safe, and the tour schedule has not changed much due to the natural disaster. Up to now, many Vietravel groups have finished their tours and returned to Vietnam.

Similarly, Director of VietSense Travel Company Nguyen Van Tai said that before the earthquake and air accident, Japan was a "hot" market that was heavily exploited by many companies. Most Vietnamese tourists traveling to Japan often take the "golden route": Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka, so up to now, Vietnamese tourist groups in Japan organized by the company have been safe.

"Currently, the operations department is continuously connecting with tour guides, updating information, and performing professional operations to reassure tourists mentally and psychologically, so tourists are still quite assured when traveling to Japan," Mr. Nguyen Van Tai informed.

As a company with more than 20 years of experience in organizing tours to Japan, Director of Golden Tour Pham Tien Dung said that the Vietnamese tourist groups traveling to Japan have returned home safely. Because the tour route is not in the area affected by the earthquake, so far no customers have canceled their trips. "We are constantly working and updating information with our Japanese partners and the Japan Tourism Bureau to continue supporting customers," said Mr. Pham Tien Dung.

The number of customers booking Tet tours to Japan may decrease.

According to analysis by tourism experts, the earthquakes and plane crashes that occurred in Japan at the beginning of the new year 2024 may cause anxiety for tourists. Due to the impact of the earthquake, many transportation infrastructures, roads, and tourist attractions in some places may be affected, so some tourist routes in Japan may be temporarily suspended.

Director of Golden Tour Company Pham Tien Dung informed that at this time, Vietnamese tourists are interested in Lunar New Year tours and after Tet is the cherry blossom season. With the recent incidents, the number of customers booking tours in January may decrease, but they are still operating normally, waiting for more information to ensure safety.

“With the speed of troubleshooting and professional and systematic support, tourism in Japan will quickly return to normal. Tours from Vietnam to Japan mainly exploit traditional destinations in safe areas, so tourists can rest assured,” Mr. Pham Tien Dung shared.

On January 4, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) in Vietnam also affirmed that sports and music events in this country are still being held as planned, with no announcements about travel restrictions or event suspensions.

The Head of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Representative Office in Vietnam said that in affected localities, some events or mass activities are being temporarily suspended, but across the country, sports and music events are still being held as planned.

"There have been no announcements in Japan about quarantine, travel restrictions or suspension of activities or events. Even in affected areas, public transportation has begun to operate normally again," said a representative of JNTO in Vietnam.

From a safety perspective, the country's Meteorological Department has called for attention to the possibility of an earthquake of the same magnitude occurring within the next week, so continued monitoring is needed for now.

JNTO in Vietnam also said it will continue to synthesize information from Japan and update information to Vietnamese tourists and people.

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