Worries about Nankai Earthquake and Travel Concerns for Japan
Travel Agency Inquiries: “Can we go according to the schedule”↑
No movement towards cancellation, but situation being watched cautiously
/Photo=Yonhap News
, ‘[Financial News] Recent earthquakes both big and small in Japan have raised concerns about the possibility of a major earthquake, causing some travelers planning to visit Japan during the vacation season to consider canceling their trips. With the value of the yen rising in the past month, there are also expectations in some sectors of the travel industry that demand for Japan tourism, which has benefited from the weak yen (yen depreciation), may gradually decrease.’,
, ‘On the 11th, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced a “Temporary Information on Nankai Trough Earthquakes” following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu on the 8th.’,
, ‘The Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake, which runs from the sea in front of Shizuoka Prefecture in the western part of the metropolitan area to the southern part of Shikoku and the eastern part of Kyushu, occurs at intervals of 100-150 years. The Japanese government estimates that there is a 70-80% probability of a magnitude 8-9 Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake occurring within the next 30 years. If this earthquake were to occur, analysis suggests that there could be up to over 230,000 casualties and missing persons, and around 2.09 million buildings would be destroyed.’,
, ‘On the night of the 9th, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in Kanagawa Prefecture west of Tokyo, followed by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in the sea 476 km north-northeast of Asahikawa, Hokkaido on the 10th, further raising tension in the local area.’,
, ‘In response, online Japanese travel communities, social media, and other platforms in Korea are sharing lists of safe and dangerous areas while discussing opinions on whether to travel. Dozens of posts stating that they have canceled their trips to Japan have appeared on Korea’s largest Japan travel community. It has been reported that inquiries to domestic travel agencies about the possibility of traveling to Japan have increased three to four times compared to usual.’,
, ‘The travel industry is taking a wait-and-see approach and preparing for measures. A travel agency official stated, “There are inquiries about whether the schedule is proceeding normally, but there are hardly any inquiries about cancellation” and said, “We are not considering canceling trips as there are no situations such as airport closures or the inability to hold events, and we are carefully monitoring the situation.” Additionally, they added, “There is also consideration for the possibility of an increase in demand for finding alternative tourist destinations instead of Japan.”‘,
, ‘Meanwhile, the rebound in the value of the Japanese yen is also seen as a variable for Japan travel demand. The won-yen exchange rate increased from the 850s per 100 yen in the first five days of last month to the 950s per 100 yen on the 5th and 6th of this month.’,
, ‘Exchange rates are one of the factors to consider when planning a trip. In the case of Japan travel, South Koreans have benefited from the weak yen so far. According to statistics from the Korea Tourism Organization, 2.22 million South Koreans traveled abroad in June, with 700,000 (31.5%) visiting Japan, the highest number.’,
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