Tourists to Hokkaido to Receive Discounts: Abe

September 21, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that discounts will be offered to tourists to Hokkaido, which was hit hard by a strong earthquake earlier this month.

"Discounts will be offered to tourists in an effort to overcome the impact of negative rumors," Abe told a meeting of his supporters in Tokyo, referring to the deadly quake that struck the northernmost prefecture on Sept. 6.

"I want people to use this autumn to visit Hokkaido," he said.

After a series of strong quakes struck Kumamoto Prefecture and its vicinity in 2016, discounts of up to 70 pct on fees for accommodations and others were provided to those traveling to the Kyushu southwestern region, including Kumamoto.

The central government at the time provided financial assistance to prefectural governments in the region to finance the discounts. A similar step is expected to be taken for the Hokkaido discounts, informed sources said. Jiji Press