Getting foreign tourists to come with peace of mind to Japan, a country prone to such natural disasters as typhoons and earthquakes: To achieve this, both the public and private sectors need to rack their brains.
The number of foreign tourists who came to Japan in September marked the first year-on-year drop in five years and eight months.
The decline has been brought about primarily by such disasters as Typhoon No. 21, which forced Kansai Airport to close temporarily, and a major earthquake that hit Hokkaido, registering 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7.
The important thing is not to let the drop in the number of foreign visitors to Japan to be prolonged. There is a need for meticulously thought-out measures, including improved assistance to foreigners in the event of disasters and eradicating the spread of harmful rumors.
The government has set a target of raising the number of foreign visitors to 40 million by 2020. With attention focused on whether visitor numbers will exceed the 30 million mark for the first time this year, the sluggishness due to disasters has delivered a blow.
In order to restore the flow of foreign visitors to Japan, it is vital to make use of lessons learned in disasters.
During the series of disasters, including Typhoon No. 21, a conspicuous number of foreign visitors were unable to grasp the severity of the emergency and got stranded.
When foreign visitors were asked about the difficulties they faced at the time of the Hokkaido quake, the inability to charge smartphones because of the large-scale power outage ranked high among responses. The provision of charging facilities during disasters was the measure most sought.
Secure emergency power supply
Smartphones have now become lifelines, functioning as tools for communication, information, and settlement of payments. The Japan Tourism Agency has decided to help major tourist information centers across the country with the expense of setting up emergency power sources. In order to maintain the convenience of daily life, private business operators, too, should strengthen their relevant measures.
There was also strong demand for the distribution of written guidance in their own languages.
Following the major earthquake that rocked northern areas of Osaka, the prefectural government produced disaster-response pamphlets in English and Chinese and placed them at airports and major railway stations. It is important to have such endeavors spread throughout the country.
When local governments in areas with popular tourist spots draw up local disaster risk reduction strategies, they should also take into account the presence of foreign visitors. It is necessary to urge public transportation networks and operators of lodging facilities to provide multilingual displays in the event of a disaster and to give employees relevant education.
During the Hokkaido quake, a large number of foreigners rushed to evacuation centers in Sapporo, causing overcrowding at even expanded facilities. Wouldn't such experiences serve as a useful lesson for tourist areas around the country?
While there were many foreigners who rushed to the consulates of their home countries for help at a time of disaster, there was a succession of cases in which they were unable to receive enough assistance due to a lack of relevant information. It is important for the central and local governments to exchange information with embassies and consulates with regards to evacuation arrangements.
Any damage arising from negative public misperceptions should also be eradicated. Even now, there are many foreigners who have second thoughts about traveling to Hokkaido. It would also be effective to make efforts to publicize, via such avenues as social media, that calm has returned to the affected areas.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 5, 2018)
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
