Local News

Nearly one month has passed since the Sewol ferry sank off the coast of Korea, leaving 304 dead or missing, and Koreans continue to voluntarily refrain from travel and other events. This has led to steep decline in the number of Korean tourists visiting Kyushu. According to industry officials in Tsushima (Nagasaki Pref.) and Beppu (Oita Pref.), two popular destinations with Korean tourists, the number of Korean visitors in the month of May has fallen by as much as 30% over the same period last year. JR Kyushu, the operator of the Beetle ferry, and the Camellia Line, a ferry that runs between Fukuoka and Busan, have both seen passenger numbers fall by about 30%, and JR has been forced to reduce it daily trips by one or two voyages through July. The head of the Beppu hoteliers association expressed his condolences for the families of missing Sewol victims by saying, “We hope all of the missing people are found soon and realize it is only natural for the impact [on travel to Kyushu] to last a little longer.” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 5/15