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Want to Go to Japan? It's Doling Out 10K Flights

Officials reassure foreign travelers that country is safe to visit

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 11, 2011 12:32 PM CDT

(Newser) – How to cope with the unpleasant reality of a major drop in tourism following March's earthquake and tsunami? Free stuff for tourists! Japan will attempt to woo back wary travelers by doling out 10,000 free airline tickets next year, the Japan Tourism Agency announced this week. Officials are reassuring would-be travelers that, with the exception of the area right around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Japan is safe to visit. The country is expected to start dishing out the tickets in April, the Telegraph reports.

Want one? Those interested will have to submit an application online explaining which region they want to visit, according to a local report cited by the Los Angeles Times. The winners, selected by the Tourism Agency, must write a review of their visit that will be published online; officials hopes positive reviews will encourage more tourism. It's not a complete freebie, though: Winners must pay for their own accommodations and meals. (And in even odder Japan travel news...)

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 787, middle, taxis near a Boing 767, foreground, at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Sunday, July 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

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Want to Go to Japan? It's Doling Out 10K Flights

Officials reassure foreign travelers that country is safe to visit

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Travel • Japan • tourism • tourists • Japan earthquake • Fukushima Dai-ichi • Japan nuclear plant • Japanese nuclear disaster

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