SearchFeatures
Buy & SellLifeExtra Services |
Okinawa pavilion popular at Berlin tourism exhibitionDate Posted: 2008-04-04 Okinawa tourism officials joined with Japan’s travel and marketing group for the first time in March, setting up a booth at the World Tourism Market Exhibition in Berlin. Japan invited Okinawa to participate, offering space alongside booths touting Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Kobe and Mount Fuji, noting Okinawa had never before been introduced to the world’s tourism leaders. Even more exciting for Okinawa tourism, Japan’s travel leaders aggressively promoted Okinawa to the German tourist companies, telling them to take a close look at the southern prefecture and integrate Okinawa into tourism planning programs. German companies did, and fell in love with Okinawa. German newspapers published article after article about Okinawa, comparing Okinawa with the Mallorca Islands in the Mediterranean, calling Okinawa the Far East paradise. Okinawa’s longevity and healthy living were accentuated, as well, leading dozens of German travel agencies to spend hours at the Okinawa booth, asking questions and gathering up all available travel literature. Okinawa tourism officials say hundreds of travel specialists, as well as the media, lingered at the Okinawa booth. More than 8,000 media from around the world participated in the exhibition, including CNN and the BBC. Many originated their live broadcasts from the Okinawa exhibition booth. |
   
|
