Meeting brainstorms
Japan tourism

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Associated Press

Japan travel officials met with Hawaii tourism officials yesterday to come up with ways to encourage more Japanese to travel to the islands.

The number of Japanese visitors dropped dramatically after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with the fall off in demand leading Japan Airlines to cut its service to Hawaii by about 30 percent.

Those attending the conference sponsored by JAL came up with a plan of action that includes the development of a "Hawaii Sports Series" to begin early next year.

Every month would feature a different sport such as tennis, golf and soccer, and Japanese amateurs would be able to participate in the events.

Advisory manuals will be published for Japanese travelers to explain how to cope with emergencies, such as illness or accidents, during their stay in Hawaii.

The manuals will be distributed through travel agencies in Japan and at airports, will include a list of hospitals where Japanese is spoken, as well as telephone numbers for consular offices, airlines, police and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau's offices.

Those attending the conference also decided the HVCB's Japanese Web site will provide information on safety and security conditions in Hawaii.