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| The summit boosted business for many in Nago, but fishermen voluntarily stopped working. |
NAGO, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) Some businesses in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, saw their sales triple before and during the three-day Group of Eight summit, which ended Sunday.
Chikara Shimabukuro, 27, a salesman at a seafront stand in the northern Okinawa city, said, "I sold three times as many towels and soft drinks as usual thanks to a number of presummit events. We expect more tourists this summer, too."
An employee at a laundry shop also said it received triple the number of orders for its rapid cleaning service from hotel guests in the city.
Okinawa-based Orion Beer Co. served 3,500 liters of free beer at the International Media Center.
Masamitsu Arakaki, production chief of the brewer, said, "The summit caused a decline in beer sales due to their being fewer tourists (because of security).
"But I believe many people now know the name of our beer."