By: Allison Berry
In an effort to bolster its ailing tourism industry, Japan is making it very enticing for travelers to visit. (via Moneyland)
The Japan Tourism Agency plans to ask prospective travelers to submit online applications for free airfare. The 10,000 selected will be required to pen a report upon completion of the trip, which will be published online. This (hopefully positive) word-of-mouth is intended as a way to get some good press for the beleaguered country. Participants will be responsible for their own lodging, food, and ancillary expenses.
“Since the earthquake, the number of visitors has dropped drastically, so to make an impact we think it's necessary to have this many people (10,000) come to Japan,” Shuichi Kameyama, a Japan Tourism Agency official, told the Wall Street Journal. The number of foreign tourists dropped 50% year-over-year in the three months following March's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, and spending by foreign visitors declined about 47% in the same period. Tourism began to pick up slightly over the summer, but is still far from median levels.
