Delegates from across Japan are attending a major global travel event in Hong Kong. They want to ensure people from the region remain a major source of inbound tourism despite a dip earlier this year.
The Hong Kong Holiday and Travel Expo 2025 kicked off on Friday.
More than 2.68 million people from the territory visited Japan last year. The figure is a record high.
But this year, the number of visitors fell for four months through August when an unfounded rumor about an impending major disaster in Japan spread online.
The Japan National Tourism Organization is exhibiting at the expo for the first time. Officials have created flyers in Cantonese. They were also seen distributing souvenirs to attendees.
JNTO Hong Kong Office head Maruyama Chiemi stressed the need to promote Japan while providing accurate information through social media and other means.
Booths set up by Fukuoka Prefecture and JR Kyushu are proving popular at the expo. Officials are promoting a tourist train that features food prepared using local ingredients.
Fukuoka prefectural official Yamamoto Daisuke said he believes most people from Hong Kong visit Japan for the food. He also said he hopes to promote sightseeing as well as culinary experiences.
AloJapan.com