Local News

The appreciation of the yen and the decline of the South Korean won have resulted in a rapid increase in the number of Kyushu travelers visiting that country. There was a 22% jump in November in the number of Japanese passengers traveling to Busan from Fukuoka on the Beetle and Kobee jetfoil ships. JTB Kyushu says they have 10 times as many passengers for their South Korean tours compared to the same period last year. The president of a Korean travel agency notes that South Korea has benefited from a decline in the image of China due to problems with food standards, and that his country is attractive because tours there are inexpensive, close, and short.