Prefecture welcomes first tour group from Shanghai
Date Posted: 2002-01-17
The first private tour group from China to arrive in Okinawa since China Northwest Airlines began connecting Shanghai with Naha was welcomed by prefectural officials at a reception held on Jan. 10. Tour operator Okinawa Tourist Service (OTS) said it was able to offer the package at a very reasonable price -- approximately ¥75,000 for a three-night stay – through the joint efforts of the airline and participating hotels. According to OTS international section leader Shinjiro Shingaki, the emphasis now is on promoting Okinawa to the Chinese public because they have very little knowledge about the island. He also voiced a desire to resolve problems involved in obtaining a Japanese visa, which presently can only be issued in Beijing and which takes one to two weeks for processing.