Impact of Japan's tsunami far-reaching

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Plum blossoms open on a hill overlooking Rikuzentakata city, Iwate prefecture, northeastern Japan, which was devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Once again, nature has changed the lives of the people of a nation and affected the tourism industry, a significant contributor to its economy.

Thousands of people who had made plans to visit Japan have put their plans on hold.

But the impact goes even further since the Japanese are tourists to other countries as well.

QUESTION: When will travel to other parts of Japan start to get back to normal following the tsunami?

ANSWER: With officials still trying to conclude the extent of contamination from the nuclear reactor leaks, and with a lot of damage to the tourism infrastructure itself, normalcy is a long way off.

Unless they are travelling to lend a helping hand, tourists for the most part have little desire to go to destinations where pain and suffering are making headlines. Japan will move forward and welcome visitors again, and it may not be far off since the tourism economy is important.

My son turned 21 in Japan when we travelled there together a number of years ago. One of the more touching experiences was when we visited the Nagasaki memorials commemorating the devastation of the atomic bomb that was dropped on it during the Second World War.

Japanese seniors must feel like they are living through the unimaginable horror a second time.

Interestingly, while Japan's tourism economy will continue to be down for some time, other countries will be affected as well.

Firstly, tourists often choose to visit an entire region on a long trip, not just one country. Many will chose another region and consider a return to Japan and neighbouring countries another time. Equally significant is the number of Japanese who would normally travel to other destinations around the world.It's well-known Japanese love to travel.

Even Taiwan, an quick trip for Japanese tourists, will feel the effects since one-fifth of their annual tourists come from Japan.

Thousands of Japanese have already cancelled trips and many more won't book them in the aftermath of the tsunami as rebuilding lives is the focus in Japan.

QUESTION: Even though I know I have nothing to fear, ever since the new body-scanning devices were introduced, I worry about being treated like a criminal. Now, I feel less like travelling. Am I alone in this thinking?

ANSWER: While most choose to grin and bear it you definitely are not alone.

Research shows the ever-increasing personal surveillance and delays in getting through security have had a dampening impact on people travelling by air to the United States. It has also impacted Americans' desire to travel by air in their own country.

A few weeks ago, a study headed by a former secretary of Homeland Security clearly spelled out the need for significant improvement.

While a number of alternatives were put forward, the study recommends a return to the practice of having passengers provide personal information on a voluntary basis in return for a simple screening process.

Those who agree to do so would pass thorough a biometric kiosk to confirm their identify and then walk through an explosive-detecting device, without having to go through the time-consuming process of removing shoes, garments, wallets and keys, etc.

One of the panel's recommendations is a revival of the Trusted Traveller program, where passengers voluntarily give up personal information in return for quick screening.

The report also calls for better methods to deter terrorists based on modern risk-assessment tools.

QUESTION: Recently, my flight was delayed. When I arrived for my connecting flight, they had given away my pre-assigned seat because they had concluded I would not make the flight. I thought airlines waited for connecting passengers. Is that not the case anymore?

ANSWER: On-time performance has become very important to airlines, and while it may be deemed important enough to wait for an aircraft carrying a couple of dozen connecting passengers, they are not likely to keep 100 or more paying customers on the ground while waiting for two or three coming from a delayed flight.

Even with a commitment to on-time performance improvements, there still are many flights delayed for any number of reasons ranging from weather to minor mechanical repairs.

In a given week, that could add up to a lot of flights being held up for passengers for varying lengths of time.

While I appreciate your frustration, the airlines do try to balance the needs and objectives of a lot of different passenger priorities at the same time.

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravelgear.com or read Ron's travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 9, 2011 D2