Japan (Photo: Shutterstock/Lazar Mihai-Bogdan)Japan
The tourism industry in Japan took a major hit after the catastrophic earthquake that struck almost a year ago, and it continues to lag. To bounce back, Japanese hotels and other travel providers have been offering deep savings on accommodations, attractions, and more in an attempt to lure international visitors. (Experts agree it's now safe to travel to most of Japan, including the greater Tokyo area.) "Japan is still expensive, primarily because the yen is high against the dollar," Chris Gray Faust, of Chris Around The World, told us in an email. "But hotels have been offering value-added specials to entice tourists back to the country. In Kyoto, for example, the Hyatt Regency Kyoto has been offering deals where if you buy one night, you get the second one for 50 percent, or a third night free with two nights paid," she said. Moreover, spending money on a Japan vacation is a great way to support a nation that has endured a terrible tragedy and is still in the process of rebuilding.
