The tourism industry in Okinawa is expecting a resurgence of visitors after this week's Group of Eight summit, following a recent decrease in the number of tourists to the islands.
Whereas normally the largest numbers of tourists visit the main island in July, the glut of visitors involved in the G8 summit has kept tourists away. Industry sources say they expect tourist numbers to rise again from August, and advance bookings already reflect that expectation.
According to JTB Inc., a major Japanese travel firm, the number of tourists visiting the main island has fallen 30 percent this month compared with the same period in 1999.
JTB believes tourists have avoided Okinawa Island because of tight security ahead of the summit as well as inconvenience, such as the difficulty in booking some resort hotels in the central and northern parts of the island as many of their rooms have been reserved for G8 delegations.