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The head of the travel agency that arranged a tour of the Great Wall of China where three elderly Japanese tourists died in a snowstorm has come under fire for lax operational measures.
Katsumi Itai, president of Amuse Travel Co, went to Beijing on Tuesday to meet with relatives of two of the tourists who died on Sunday. Before leaving Tokyo, he told reporters that his company had not checked the trekking route, nor did he know the name and qualifications of the Chinese guide, Fuji TV reported.
In Tokyo, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism has ordered the Japan Tourism Agency to investigate Amuse Travel's operations and examine what safety measures they have in place.
The tour operator has been in trouble before. In 2009, it operated a mountain tour in Hokkaido, during which eight people, including the tour guide, got stranded in icy weather and froze to death. After that incident, the government imposed a 51-day suspension on Amuse but the company organized a tour despite the ban.
© Japan Today
13 Comments
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some14some
no serious action expected from the govt. atleast company should change its name to Abuse Travel Co.
waltery
Although that and other tour company's should do there research it's adventure travel and there will always be risks involved. Things change fast in the travel industrie in addition to weather. Unfortunately younger Japanese more suited to extreem and adventure travel don't get to explore the world as much as other nations untill retirement. Saying that Japanede tend to be fitter and more able than other nationalities but more likley to take unforeseen risk. I hope they RIP.
flipper2
They will give more attention no doubt to the Chinese tour guide who took them there, its the trend these days. Good idea though to go trekking the mountains in winter.I guess nobody says ''Sugoy!'' now. I hate tours anyway, no freedom.
Seirei Tobimatsu
Investors, tourists, accidents will happen even more in a lax culture.
gogogo
Morons, I hope they get some serious jail time
issa1
Ha,excursion, "made in china", oh yes!
JaneM
The company did not operate for 51 days after the accident in 2009 but after the end of the 51-day ban continued its business. Accidents happen all the time but the problem with this particular company is that they did not do a preliminary inspection of the itinerary, which is their responsibility but trusted the local tour-operator and did not require serious consideration of weather forecast and weather conditions. Added to the accident in 2009, it is unlikely that customers will be willing to trust the company’s reliability in terms of safety again.
megosaa
wtf would you send someone on tour to china knowing the current (island dispute) situation???!??!..... is beyond me.
tmarie
People are still going to China because regardless if what some narrow minded folks think, China is a beautiful country with amazing sights to see.
And indeed, continued to operate even with a ban just shows how lax punishments and rules are here. Until the government starts handing out serious punishments, people and companies will continue to ignore the rules and punishments and do as they like.
Indeed risk has to be considered. What a bunch of 60/70 something folks thought with regards to a 100k treck off the beaten path in a country they don't know with a guide they don't know is beyond me. If they're willing to take such risks, can you really fault the travel company? They outsourced which is how many companies in Japan are run these days. Why would anyone see anything wrong with that when it is the norm here, unfortunately.
cramp
gawd, ...leave politics out when the news or event has NOTHING to do with it
Nessie
I believe the same storm claimed lives on a neighboring mountain, so it was an anomaly. Although if you go with an organized tour you expect more than if you're own your own hike.
Balefire
There are more and more anomalies lately, with more frequent and more severe instances of unexpected and dramatic changes in the weather. It would behoove travel agencies to learn from such tragedies and prepare better for unpleasant possibilities rather than optimistic probabilities based on obsolescent historical data.
Increasing average age of tour customers is a factor, but not the only one.
I used to be a tour guide for mountain treks here, long ago; I understand that telling prospective customers for high country treks that they need to bring extra clothing, emergency food supplies, etc., makes the tour sound risky and perhaps less desirable, and that it's a hassle to have an extra guide or to weigh down the one guide with a tent or the like "just in case".
That might be off-putting to prospective customers, particularly the retirees who seem increasingly to represent the major market. Having a tour group die on you is really off-putting to future prospects, though, aside from the sheer human tragedy involved.