Japan Tourists Shun Hawaii as Holiday Travel Falls

Machiko Takemura, a housewife in Kawasaki City, abreast Tokyo, appointed a Golden Anniversary anniversary to Hawaii on March 11, hours afore an convulsion rocked Japan.When we saw the abounding furnishings of the disaster, we canceled it,” said Takemura, 30, who planned to appointment the U.S. accompaniment with her bedmate and babyish son during Golden Week, a run of four Japanese holidays in a week, alpha tomorrow. “The approaching seemed actual uncertain.Japanese tourists, who annual for about 20 percent of Hawaii’s visitors, accept pared across trips back the magnitude-9 convulse hitting bookings for Hilton Worldwide Inc. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts World Inc. and banishment Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. to cut flights. Hawaii’s company numbers from Japan accept angled 28 percent this month, according to the accompaniment tourism agency.Starwood’s hotels in Waikiki, Hawaii’s capital day-tripper hub, accept apparent a 5 percent bead in bookings from Japan, said Keith Vieira, the chain’s chief carnality admiral and administrator of operations for Hawaii and French Polynesia.