GUANGZHOU, China--A group of celebrities from Hong Kong is touring Japan to show it is safe and open to tourism despite the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
GUANGZHOU, China--A group of celebrities from Hong Kong is touring Japan to show it is safe and open to tourism despite the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
A dozen or so celebrities led by Eric Tsang arrived June 19. Another group made up of a similar number of celebrities will also take part, with the entire group staying in Japan until July 3.
Among the destinations scheduled are Tokyo, Kamakura and Kyoto.
A Hong Kong TV crew will film the group as it makes its sojourn through Japan. The footage will be broadcast on prime-time Hong Kong television over the course of five straight nights.
The Hong Kong office of the Japan National Tourism Organization and Tsang, who heads an organization of Hong Kong celebrities, discussed ways to get Hong Kong tourists to return to Japan.
An official at the Hong Kong office said, "By showing well-known people having a good time on tour, we hope to transmit a picture of a Japan that has returned to normal."
On June 10, the Hong Kong government relaxed a travel advisory for the four prefectures of Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Ibaraki. Another travel advisory to other parts of Japan was also lifted.
On June 13, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. began a campaign to provide 500 free round-trip air tickets to Japan to Hong Kong residents.
One aim of the campaign is to have these residents see for themselves how the Japanese are continuing with their lives and bring their impressions back home with them.
Last year, about 500,000 tourists from Hong Kong visited Japan. However, the March 11 quake and tsunami have led to a sharp decrease in visitors.
According to an estimate by the Japanese government, tourists from Hong Kong decreased by about 88 percent in April over last year and by about 72 percent in May.
Hong Kong media carried extensive coverage about the dangers of radiation contamination as a result of the Fukushima accident.
Because many Hong Kong residents enjoy good food, including fresh fish, such media reports likely helped to dampen the urge to visit Japan.