Nation resilient

The devastating tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 is expected to have an enormous impact on inbound tourism. 'While many areas remained unaffected by the disaster, they are also suffering from the sudden decrease in international visitors,' says Tadatoshi Mamiya, president of Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).

He says the disaster will also have a very negative impact on Japan's tourism industry partners around the world. The MICE industry is operating as usual because many venues are located away from affected areas.

JNTO participated in IT&CM China 2011 in Shanghai in April and IMEX 2011 in Frankfurt in May to highlight the resilience of Japan's MICE industry.