Kagoshima Prefecture faces slow uptake for foreign tourist Shinkansen subsidies

Kagoshima Prefecture is facing slow initial uptake for its new Shinkansen subsidy program aimed at attracting foreign tourists. The initiative, which provides subsidies for one-way fares on the Kyushu Shinkansen from Hakata to Kagoshima Chuo for visitors staying at least one night in the prefecture, has seen only 1,004 bookings since reservations opened in mid-September. This is significantly lower than the prefecture's target of 20,000 guests for the 278 million yen budget.

Governor Shioda noted that promotion efforts may not have fully reached the target audience yet. In contrast, the “Kagoshima Tourism Support Discount,” a separate measure intended to support the local tourism industry following the Kumamoto earthquake, has seen a budget execution rate exceeding 90%.

To bolster regional travel, Yahoo! Travel began selling “Kyushu Fukkou Ouen Wari” packages for Kagoshima on October 14. This program offers significant discounts, including a 60% reduction for stays in Kagoshima and Kumamoto to mitigate the impact of cancellations on local tourism. The discounts apply to both standalone accommodation and dynamic packages involving flights.