From August 15 to 17, 2025, I joined the travel fair NATAS Holidays 2025, held at Singapore EXPO. The Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB) was there promoting Okinawa as a travel destination with the catchphrase “The Oasis of Japan.” Alongside that, the Yaeyama Visitors Bureau also joined to help introduce the Yaeyama Islands to people in Singapore. I was lucky to attend together with OCBV-YVB staff members.
Over the three days, more than 100,000 people visited NATAS Holidays. At the Okinawa booth, we prepared giveaways like eco-bags, which we handed out to those who answered a short survey. Many people in Singapore already know Okinawa by name, but we still got lots of questions about things like transportation, climate, events, and activities. There was also a lot of curiosity about cultural experiences and shopping, not just the beaches.
Since direct flights to Okinawa—which had stopped at the end of July—will resume this December, there was strong interest in the main island. Thanks to my own past trips there, I was able to answer many of those questions. Hopefully in the future, more people will not only visit the main island but also make their way to the Yaeyama Islands and other remote islands of Okinawa.
