Japan’s cherry blossoms may be blooming, but tourism to the country continues to decline following the destructive earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

The Hong Kong Travel Industry Council has announced that all tours from Hong Kong to Japan are canceled until mid-April.

Around 20 to 30 percent of all Hong Kongers traveling internationally choose Japan as their destination.

Around 1.6 million Chinese visited Japan last year. The National Tourism Administration in Mainland China has warned Chinese tourists to avoid quake-hit areas and avoid tourism to the nation. Most tourism agencies have stopped selling packages to Japan.

Tour agencies in South Korea have also reported that many vacation packages are being canceled.

This year the International Air Transport Association predicted that travel and tourism would make up seven percent of Japan’s GDP, or around $409.4 billion.

This estimate will have to be scaled back significantly.

The loss is significant especially in light of the record tourism in 2010. Last year, 9.44 million foreigners visited Japan.

By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: Reuters, China Radio International

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