For further information, call the Kurokawa Onsen Ryokan Association at (0967) 44-0076 or the Yufuin Onsen tourism association at (0977) 85-4464.
TOKYO - Two hot spring towns in Kyushu, where tourism has declined due to the Kumamoto Earthquake, are jointly conducting a promotional campaign titled “Yume-tsunagu 200-nichi” (Connecting dreams for 200 days).
The two towns are Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture and Yufuin Onsen in Oita Prefecture. In early July, a campaign promotion team including popular Kumamoto Prefecture mascot Kumamon visited The Yomiuri Shimbun’s office in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.
Kumamoto Prefecture has tasked Kumamon with promoting sales and making people happy as a “lucky manager.”
Kurokawa Onsen and Yufuin Onsen are about an hour away from each other by car, and have closely communicated for several years. A series of cancellations at inns in both towns after the earthquake led them to deepen their cooperation with the aim of speeding recovery.
Promotions in the first stage of the campaign, which began in mid-June, include a 10 percent discount on the second night of a stay lasting consecutive days at designated hot springs in both towns. That offer runs through Aug. 31, excluding Aug. 13 to 15.
The two towns plan to carry out various promotional campaigns until the year-end to attract tourists.
“We’d like to let people know that Kumamoto Prefecture is in high spirits,” said Takahiro Shimojo, 45, the director of the Kurokawa Onsen Ryokan Association. “Many inns are operating as usual, and we hope lots of people will visit these two hot spring resorts, which have a lot of greenery.”
