The Japanese party was led by Yoshiro Shimoji, vice-president of Okinawa Office of Tourism and Sports.
Dr Sommai said that a primary reason for Phuket’s swift recovery after the 2004 Asian Tsunami was the high level of cooperation among the many organisations such as consulates and immigration officials from Thailand and many other countries; hospitals, people volunteering to provide accommodation, and many volunteers at the Phuket Provincial Hall as well as in many help centers around the island.
Just three months after the tsunami, Phuket began itself advertised itself again as a tourist destination, she said, stressing the tsunami warning system that was being put in place to ensure the safety of tourists and local people.
Mr Shimoji invited Phuket to send representatives to a tsunami forum planned for next month in Okinawa.
In the near future, he said, Okinawa and Phuket will be “connected” so that each can learn about the other’s culture and learn lessons relevant to tourism. He added that direct flights between Phuket and Okinawa would start “soon”.
Okinawa was not affected by the massive Tohoku quake and tsunami that devastated huge areas of northeastern Japan in March last year.