‘Once-in-a-decade’ blizzard freezes holiday plans for thousands of Hong Kong tourists in Japan
- Travel agencies in city say flights unaffected but tour groups already in Japan have to switch destinations and accommodation
- Storm has shut down infrastructure in affected regions of the country, but industry leaders expect weather to turn a corner soon
Thousands of Hong Kong tourists in Japan are facing disruptions to their holiday plans as a “once-in-a-decade” blizzard rips through the country, shutting down railways and major thoroughfares.
At least 200 travellers had already experienced some form of delay or changes to their itinerary among some 6,000 people from the city across tour groups in Japan, Fanny Yeung Shuk-fan, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said on Wednesday.
The figure does not take into account independent travellers.
“Fortunately, it merely involves delay, such as late arrivals at hotels or destination changes without wide impact,” Yeung said, ruling out safety concerns and risks of tourists being seriously stranded.
She and other industry leaders said they expected the situation to improve in the coming days, with the weather turning a corner.
Holidaymakers about to set off for Japan remained undeterred on Wednesday, as they continued to monitor flights bound for one of the city’s most popular travel destinations.
Those already in Japan, meanwhile, were left with no choice but to change plans, with many stranded in coaches stuck in traffic, according to Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, head of a travel agency specialising in tours to Japan.
