Kyushu complex plans to cash in on wave of cruising tourists

A sprawling commercial complex opened here near Fukuoka Airport, but its target is mainly seafaring travelers.

The operator of the Kyushu International Sightseeing Square (KISS Fukuoka), one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Kyushu region, hopes to tap into the increasing number of foreign tourists taking cruise ships to and from Japan’s southernmost main island.

KISS Fukuoka, which opened for business on July 27, features a tax-free shop, an 800-seat restaurant and event spaces. It also has a parking lot that can accommodate 30 large buses that carry cruise-ship passengers.

While “bakugai” binge shopping by Chinese tourists in Japan has dropped off because of a stronger yen and higher tariffs imposed by the Chinese government on items bought overseas, the number of cruise ships stopping at ports in Kyushu has risen.

“The need to buy local souvenirs during trips before returning home hasn’t diminished,” said Su Qing, president of the facility’s operator. “We can also expect synergy with food and events.”

The operator is seeking 300,000 visitors and 3 billion yen ($29.70 million) in sales a year at KISS Fukuoka.

Eighty percent of the items sold at the duty-free shop are from Okinawa Prefecture and Kyushu.

The items include cosmetics, alcohol and traditional handicrafts, such as Arita-yaki porcelain from Saga Prefecture and Satsuma "kiriko" cut glass from Kagoshima Prefecture.

(THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)