THE ANNUAL World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit will proceed in Japan this April as planned, with part of the programme hosted in Sendai to demonstrate the city’s rapid recovery from the earthquake and tsunami disaster last March.

Japan won the hosting rights to the 12^th Global Summit in November 2010, and Tokyo was originally earmarked as the host city.

“However, after the disaster on March 11, Japan wanted to show the recovery (Tohoku has achieved),” a Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) spokesperson told TTG Asia e-Daily.

WTTC gave the Japan host committee the nod, allowing the Global Summit to kick off in Sendai on April 16 at the Westin Hotel Sendai, and proceed onwards to Tokyo’s Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa from the later part of April 17.

Conference sessions will look at lessons on disaster recovery, as well as Asia’s travel and tourism business.

At press time, 400 domestic and overseas attendees have signed up for the summit in Sendai, while 1,000 have confirmed their presence at the Tokyo event.

The JTA spokesperson said a half-day post-show tour around Tokyo was being planned.