Japan Tourism Drop Less Than Expected

By Sonia Isotov

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is projecting an 18.3 percent decline in arrivals from Japan for the month of March, less than the 25 percent drop initially projected following the events on March 11.

To offset the shortfall from Japan, the HTA said in a statement that it is focusing on working with its marketing contractors and industry partners to implement programs that increase travel to Hawaii from North America, Oceania, China and Korea.

Returning from Routes Asia 2011 Conference in Korea, David Uchiyama, HTA Vice President of Brand Management, was said to have met with numerous airline executives who discussed the development of new routes, increasing service, and protecting existing airlift. 

Good news is that Hawaiian Airlines announced they would not reduce service from Tokyo, while Japan Airlines announced this week that it would temporarily reduce flights. In reference to the mixed bag news this week, the HTA said in a statement, “We are hopeful that this will only be a short-term consolidation of flights and that regular scheduled service will resume when appropriate.”