The 31st Marine Diving Fair 2023 was held at the Sunshine City Cultural Hall in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, from April 7 to 9. Admission was free. The venue was filled with booths of popular diving spots in Japan and abroad. Visitors could hear the latest information on diving and beach resorts from local guides and staff. Diving gear, underwater cameras, marine goods, and other manufacturers were also exhibited, and visitors could purchase them on the spot. Because of such an attractive event, the first day of the event was packed with visitors even before the doors opened, even though it was a weekday. Masao Okuyama, President of Marine Creative, the organizer of the event, said, “We are pretty much back to the pre-Corona days in terms of holding events, with no more rules about temperature inspection and disinfection. However, when we talk to overseas exhibitors, many of them say that the Japanese have not yet returned. I hope this event will be an opportunity for them to go diving overseas. We also want to increase the diver population, so we have decided to hold the “Let’s Dive the Earth! Let’s become divers! We also want to increase the population of divers, so we have conducted a wide range of PR activities under the theme of “Let’s dive the earth! We want non-divers to feel the wonder and fun of diving as well,” he says. This year’s event has a larger space and about 30% more booths than the previous one. The number of visitors is expected to exceed the total of 23,387 visitors to the previous 30th show, which was attended by approximately 30,000 people.
Popular overseas spots returning to pre-Corona days, including the resumption of direct flights As soon as visitors enter, the Overseas Zone begins, and their excitement rises before the booths of attractive overseas diving spots. First, at the “Cairns & Great Barrier Reef” booth, I heard the happy news that the coral in the Great Barrier Reef is in the best condition it has been in the past 36 years. A few years ago, there were calls for the bleaching of coral reefs due to global warming and other factors, but now the reefs are making a comeback. Coral condition is improving, according to data from a survey conducted by a specialized research facility. It is obvious to the naked eye. From June 28, Virgin Australia Airlines will begin direct flights from Haneda to Cairns, so visitors will be able to fly directly to Cairns from three domestic airports, including Narita and Kansai International Airport. We have already seen a return of tourists to numbers close to those before Corona, and I believe that this will grow further as access becomes more convenient in the future,” said a staff member. The best season in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region is October to November, but from June to July, the encounter rate with minke whales is high and you can even swim with them. If you are interested in the Great Barrier Reef, now is a good time to visit. The Palau Visitors Bureau also reports that divers are returning to Palau. Palau has a lot of repeat visitors, so it seems like everyone is looking for the right time to go. Palau is surrounded by a deep trench, so there are migratory fish all year round. There is also a lot of greenery, and the contrast between the blue of the ocean and the green is beautiful and picturesque when you take photos. After three years of being in a calm state due to the Corona Disaster, nature is now more and more alive. I would like to invite you to lose yourself in the world of nature,” said Tsuyoshi Shibamura, representative of the Japan Office. Many people visit Saipan, Tinian, and Rota to enjoy diving, beach resorts, and golf. The Marianas Visitors Authority says that direct flights will resume in September 2022, and tourists are gradually returning. A new proposal for the Marianas is a work vacation. The Marianas is only three and a half hours away, and the time difference is only one hour,” says Mr. Kato, “and with Wi-Fi facilities available, a work vacation is highly recommended. I think you can have a stylish work vacation by the beach. On the other hand, the Tahiti Visitors Bureau is eagerly awaiting the resumption of direct flights to Tahiti, as Air Tahiti Nui’s direct flights from Narita are suspended until October 29, and the airline’s schedule has been postponed five times so far. Tahiti is so popular that even with the Corona disaster, hotels cannot be booked, and many divers, honeymooners, and Tahitian dancers visit the island. Some people are coming from New Zealand, Hawaii, and Los Angeles in the United States. Some hotels are already fully booked until about November of this year. Of course there is diving, but Tahiti is also very green and mountainous. You can enjoy a variety of experiences, such as mountain walks and trekking. When direct flights resume, he hopes that people will make reservations as soon as possible.
In the Okinawa area, hotels and izakayas are having difficulty making reservations. In the Okinawa zone, we first spoke with “Ishigakijima Diving Resort”. Ishigakijima Island held its “Diving Festa,” which was usually held in June, for the first time in three years. This year, the festival will be held from November 23 to 25, and a digital camera photo contest will be held for the works taken during this period. You can participate in the contest by applying at a store that is a member of the Yaeyama Diving Association. Since the photo contest is limited to photos taken during the same dates, there is no sense of unfairness, and everyone has a chance to win a prize. We are waiting for you with gorgeous prizes,” says Tatsuya Suzuki, the association’s president. The number of diving visitors to Ishigaki Island has remained stable even with the Corona disaster. With the rapid increase in the number of tourists, he advised, “Customers are moving fast, so if you take it easy with lodging, izakaya (Japanese style pubs), etc., you will not be able to get a reservation. The same is true on Miyako Island, where reservations are hard to come by. At the booth of the Miyakojima Diving Business Association, information on the popularity of Miyakojima was available. The number of restaurants on Miyakojima is increasing, but the number of visitors is increasing even more, so we can’t keep up with them. During peak times, things move especially fast, so we recommend making reservations at izakaya (Japanese style pubs) as soon as they are available. The number of resort hotels has also increased, but the number of business class hotels for divers has not changed much, so you need to make reservations as early as possible,” he said. In the summer, for topography, I recommend L-shaped arch, W-arch, and cross-holes, and for corals, Yaebise (Yaehaise). For corals, Yabiji is recommended,” he said, so those who are aiming for Miyakojima should make reservations as soon as possible. In the domestic zone, I visited the Hachijojima booth. The island has seen the opening of new cafes in the past year or two, so even if the weather is bad, you can still enjoy yourself by going to the hot springs and visiting cafes. Hachijojima has dynamic topography. If you are a macro diver, you can find Hachijo’s pygmy seahorse, Hachijo tatsu, and nudibranchs. It is said that there are about 700 species of nudibranchs on Hachijo alone,” he said, giving us an idea of how to enjoy the island and diving. At the “Iwami Town Tourist Association/Tottori Prefecture” booth, visitors discovered the world’s first winged fin, which was born from research into the pectoral fins of manta rays, sea turtles, and sea lions! This is a new activity, called the “Manta Flyer,” which allows people to flap their wings like manta rays. The fins are made of carbon and rubber, and by moving them as if they were enveloping the water, they can move forward without relying on their foot fins. We had a hard time finding the best size for the wing fins,” says developer Shusuke Kubouchi, president of Mamal Design. The “Manta Flyer Snorkeling Experience” school is offered by the Tottori Nature Experience School from June to September in Iwami Town, Tottori Prefecture (11,000 yen participation fee). Those who want to swim like a manta ray should pay attention.
© Source travel watch
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