Tourism blitz: 10,000 to get free flights to Japan

The Japan Tourism Agency said Tuesday that 10,000 foreigners will be given free round-trip tickets to the country in the next fiscal year as part of a campaign to reverse the plunge in tourists since the March 11 disasters and amid a prohibitively high yen.

The agency said it will open a website to solicit applicants. They will be required to answer questions on post-quake tourism in Japan and what their travel goals are in the country.

The successful applicants will receive return air tickets but will have to pay for their accommodations and other expenses, said Shuichi Kameyama, head of the agency's international tourism promotion division.

This is a tempting offer to me, as I would like to see Japan. But, of course, I don't want to wind up with thyroid cancer or some other radiation-related illness.

It's like tempting someone to try a new drug. It could be fun, but it might kill you in the end.

What do you all think? Sign up or forget it? Is this is a good tourism idea for the country or are they way off track here?

Source

Ha, are they going to track these 10,000 "test subjects" to see how messed up
the radiation really is?

reply to post by Vardoger


I guess there could wind up a movie being made called, "The 10,000" ...the 'control group' for radiation exposure for a specified time on the planet's most contaminated island.

Spooky. And, who knows, maybe the indigenous Japanese have a certain genetic tolerance to radiation. This could be one way to find out how foreigners manage.

Heck, I'd go for it if I were in a position to support the Japan side of the trip. I'm sure the Hotels and other places you go would know or suspect who you were, and since the entire point here is glowing reviews and wonderful stories about your unbelievable fun in Japan, I am sure they'll treat those 10,000 like little Emperors. As long as no one is pushing that someone go north into the Hot Zone, what the heck?

Tokyo would be a city of the dead if Radiation were that big a problem across the whole country. It's that westerly weather pattern...it keeps them fairly safe while dumping the garbage all over Canada and America. Japan is probably safer than the U.S./Canadian west coast for radiation exposure. Ironic...but there it is. Go for it if you're considering it OP. Tell us all how it was to be treated like Royalty! I envy those 10,000 who get this.

Originally posted by kalunom
What do you all think? Sign up or forget it?

Its good. Go for it.
Remember that the Fukushima power plant is in the northern half of the country, north of Tokyo, and 99% of everything tourist related is in the area south of Tokyo.
So go there, Visit Tokyo and all areas south of there for a few weeks.
You're not going to die of radiation poisoning.

There are not details or applications available for this yet...

you can travel ANYWHERE in japan, not just the hot zone.

Originally posted by kalunom
This is a tempting offer to me, as I would like to see Japan. But, of course, I don't want to wind up with thyroid cancer or some other radiation-related illness.

It's like tempting someone to try a new drug. It could be fun, but it might kill you in the end.

What do you all think? Sign up or forget it?

Go for it. Just use this map and don't spend too much time in the red zones. I think they are safe to drive through, but I wouldn't spend my vacation in a red zone:



My take is, if you have a permanent residence in a red zone, you're at increased risk. If you're just a tourist passing through, the risk is so small as to be insignificant if you avoid spending time in the red zones.

Have a good time, you'll be fine.

The people who win these free airfares are signing their own death certificate if they choose to go to Japan. NONE OF JAPAN IS SAFE. For the love of all that is holy, don't go to Japan. I wish I didn't even read this thread, because it depresses me so much to think about the poison radiation that is STILL being released after 7 MONTHS, humanity=FUBAR. I am afraid to bring a child into this world. It is amazing to me that every new person that I talk to does not even know about the radiation poisoning our world. Completely oblivious, I mean is it me? Am I over-reacting? I think not, here is one of the scariest videos I have ever seen:

Scariest Video Ever

I hope the link works

Statement from the JTA:

Thank you for your interest in visiting Japan.

Recently a number of media outlets have publicized reports about ”Japan offering 10,000 free flights to foreigners”. 　However, this initiative to be carried out from April 2012 onwards is still under examination for government budgetary approval and is at this moment undecided.

If the initiative is confirmed and put into operation, Japan Tourism Agency will officially announce details on this website.

Warning: There have been reports in some countries about acts of fraud related to this media report. The Japanese government has not committed to provide free flight tickets to Japan to anybody. Please be careful not to get caught up in this kind of fraud.

www.mlit.go.jp...

..It seems like a lot of media got their hopes up a little too high with this story, and were treating it as a done deal. In reality, it's just a proposal. A good one, though. Tourism has been hit very hard since March, and the continuing strength of the yen isn't helping matters. A lot of people rely on tourism for their livelihood - and thusfar, they've been largely left out of the reconstruction process.

10,000 free tickets likely means between 20,000 and 40,000 visitors. Most people don't like to travel alone, and will use a free ticket to offset the cost of going as a couple or as a family. It's not hard to see how this investment could pay off.

reply to post by vox2442


Yes Vox, everything is A Okay over there. Nothing to see, move along.

They will not be starting or considering this until April of 2012, as they are budgeting out for it.