Tsunami alert has minimal impact on HK tour groups to Japan for now
發佈日期: 2025-07-30 20:11
TVB News
Hong Kong's Travel Industry Council says over 50 tour groups from the SAR are currently travelling in Japan.
Some travel agencies say all their tour members are safe and so far, no itinerary changes have been made.
Meanwhile, Beijing has issued a tsunami warning with coastal areas including Shanghai and Taipei being possibly affected.
China's Tsunami Warning Centre under the Ministry of Natural Resources issued a yellow alert, warning that a tsunami triggered by this morning's earthquake off the Russian Far East could precipitate tsunami waves of 30 centimetres to 1 metre high and "cause damage" to coastal areas, including Shanghai, Zhoushan, Taipei, Hualien and Yilan.
China has a four-tier warning system for tsunami, with yellow representing the third most severe alert.
Taiwan's meteorological agency also expected tsunami waves of the same predicted heights to lash the island's shores along southeastern and southwestern coastal regions.
Japan, a top destination for Hong Kong tourists, is bracing for the tsunami too. Because of the tsunami alert, Sendai Airport in northeastern Japan has temporarily closed.
HK Express flight UO890, which departed from Hong Kong at 8 a.m. for Sendai, was originally scheduled to arrive at around 1 p.m. but has been diverted to Tokyo Narita Airport.
Affected passengers will have their transportation costs reimbursed.
The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong estimates more than 50 Hong Kong tour groups are now in Japan.
Steven Huen, executive director of EGL Tours,
says Hong Kong tour groups normally do not visit beaches in Japan as part of their itineraries.
But he warns that individual travellers heading to beaches on their own should be vigilant, especially for non-Japanese speakers. He says if they see crowds clearing out, take the cue and leave right away.
He says no customers have cancelled tours so far, and since the tsunami alert is a precautionary measure, those who choose not to depart at this stage cannot change tours or request refunds.
