Japan To Give Away 10,000 Free Roundtrip Flights

If you plan on traveling to Japan in 2012 and you haven’t yet bought your roundtrip airfare there’s a chance you could be taking your trip for free. Japanese officials announced on Tuesday that they plan to give away 10,000 free airline tickets to help increase tourism to the country.

The move comes after expected visitors to the area began looking elsewhere for their next trip following the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant explosion which spewed toxic waste into certain areas.

The move is headed by the Japan Tourism Agency which will begin offering the free tickets to travelers in April. As part of the program tourists are required to write a review of their Japan experience once they leave the country. Officials also warn that accommodations and food are still the responsibility of the traveler.

To receive a free ticket Japanese officials will soon start accepting online applications in which the traveler must explain what region they plan to visit and why they are traveling to their selected area.

Japanese officials hope that each travelers time in the country will be positive and that their reviews will help vacationers realize that the country is still a safe place to visit.

I personally wouldn’t mind a free trip to Japan. Do you think giving away 10,000 free airline tickets with the promise of online reviews is a smart movie for Japanese officials or should their time and money be spent educating people about the safety of Japanese other areas outside of the Fukushima zone.