Iran Tensions Overshadowing Inbound Travel to Japan

Tokyo, March 19 (Jiji Press)–Escalating tensions over Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes on the country are beginning to affect foreigners’ travel to Japan. A number of flights have been canceled as airports in Middle East countries and airspace over the region have been closed due to the ongoing conflict, leading hotels in Japan to start seeing cancellations of reservations from those who were planning to visit the East Asian nation from Europe via major airports in the Middle East. Also, airfares are rising globally due to higher aviation fuel costs reflecting soaring crude oil prices, potentially impacting inbound travel to Japan. The Japanese tourism industry is paying close attention to the situation. Many flights between Japan and the Middle East have been canceled since the United States and Israel started their military operations against Iran in late February. All 23 flights from the Middle East to Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, that had been scheduled between Feb. 28 and Tuesday were canceled, according to Kansai Airports, the operator of the airport. There are moves to resume direct flights connecting Japan and the Middle East, carriers including Japan Airlines continue suspending their flight services between Japan and the region. Some tour reservations have been canceled at Tokyo-based Joyful Sightseeing, which provides bus services exclusively for visitors from abroad. Still, people from the Middle East account for less than 1 pct of all inbound visitors to Japan, according to data from the Japan Tourism Agency. Some of those who were scheduled to fly to Japan from Europe via the Middle East are switching to different routes for their travel to Japan, informed sources said. The overall impact of the Middle East-related confusion has been limited, a Joyful Sightseeing official said. An official of Mori Trust Co., which operates hotels in Japan, said the Tokyo-based company has faced the cancellations of some reservations, but added that this has been offset by strong demand among visitors from countries and regions outside of the Middle East. With foreign airlines announcing decisions to raise their ticket prices, however, a tourism industry official warned that higher airfares could dent demand for travel to Japan. Visitors from Europe are major profit contributors to the tourism industry as many of them tend to stay in Japan for a long period and spend much. The industry is also pinning high hopes on an increase in the number of Middle Easterners visiting Japan in the future. A prolonged confusion in the Middle East could deal a heavy blow to the tourism industry, which has played an engine role for the Japanese economy, at a time when the sector has already been struggling with a continued drop in the number of visitors from China to Japan due to the deterioration in relations between the two East Asian neighbors, industry watchers said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]