Hawaii Tourism Will Suffer After Japan Disaster

Flickr; Dylan Ashe

The number of Japanese tourists visiting Hawaii is expected to drop dramatically following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck last week.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has already estimated damages from the wave that hit Hawaii will cost tens of millions of dollars.

But the true effect could be much greater, as Japan is the source of 18 percent of Hawaii's tourists. By Monday night, Japan's Nikkei Stock Index had nosedived more than 12 percent.

Hawaii tourism experts say it's not uncommon for Japanese tourists to stay home after a natural disaster.

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