Several tours from Hong Kong to Japan were canceled or rescheduled due to the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that caused severe damage to several areas in Ishikawa, including tourist attractions.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that from the evening of January 2 to the morning of January 3, Japan suffered 200 more earthquakes, bringing the total number of earthquakes since January 1 to 400. At least 64 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the 7.6-magnitude earthquake on January 1 in Ishikawa Prefecture. The Noto Peninsula was the hardest hit with hundreds of buildings damaged.
Hong Kong’s two largest tour operators said on Monday they were canceling or changing itineraries. WWPKG said all trips this month to the hard-hit city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture would be canceled as a safety precaution. At least 10 tours with a total of 150 people were affected. EGL Tours, which had 16 tours with 350 people scheduled to depart in January, also had to adjust it.
According to WWPKG, customers can change their travel plans, change their destination, or reserve their money to go after the situation in Japan stabilizes. However, trips to other parts of Ishikawa Prefecture such as Kanazawa City or the Wakura Onsen hot spring resort are still allowed.
Faced with the above information, many Korean tourists are also hesitant about their upcoming trip to Japan. Japan is one of the most popular destinations for Korean tourists, so tour cancellations could result in significant economic damage to the Japanese tourism industry.
People stand near a collapsed torii gate caused by an earthquake at Onohiyoshi Shrine in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1. Photo: Reuters
“I’m worried that things will get more complicated when I get there,” said a 60-year-old tourist living in Seoul who paid for a tour to Kyoto, adding that she was considering cancelling the trip.
Another Korean couple in their 30s were planning a trip to Tokyo and were looking to change their itinerary. "This isn't my first time in Japan so I'll come again because I don't know what might happen," the couple said.
However, the Japanese tourism industry said it has not seen mass cancellations. Local companies have received many inquiries from foreign partners but have not canceled trips because most of the tours booked are not near Ishikawa Prefecture, which was hardest hit by the earthquake, or are booked far away, in March and April.
Cancellation fees will be charged to customers who cancel their tours, so many people who have already purchased tours are reluctant to give up their trips. Currently, travel agencies in Korea and Japan are still operating as usual.
A woman returns to her house destroyed by the tsunami and earthquake in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, June 2. Photo: AFP
Anh Minh (According to SCMP, Korea Times )
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