A chilling prediction from the so-called ‘new Baba Vanga’ has significantly impacted tourism in a specific region of the world.
Baba Vanga, born Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova in Bulgaria, gained global notoriety for her eerie prophecies—many of which are said to have come true. Among the most widely cited are her alleged predictions of Princess Diana’s death in 1997 and the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
Though she passed away in 1996, a modern-day mystic from Japan is now drawing comparisons for making similarly ominous forecasts. One of their recent predictions, warning of an impending disaster, has caused a notable decline in travel to the area they referenced—casting a long shadow over local tourism.
Fortune teller and former manga artist Ryo Tatsuki has said her predictions come to her in vivid dreams, which she claims she’s been experiencing since the 1980s.
It’s thought that one of Tatuski’s most accurate predictions to date was a major disaster in March 2011, the date remarkably being the same time Japan was hit by a cataclysmic quake and tsunami in northern Tohoku region.
Over 18,000 people lost their lives as a result of the tragedy.
The people of Japan endured a deadly earthquake in 2011 (Satoshi Takahashi/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Since then, Tatsuki has issued a concerning warning for an event that could occur later on in July, the fifth of the month to be exact.
She is predicting the ocean is ‘boiling’ south of Japan, which could spell disaster for the country.
Many are interpreting the dream as an undersea volcanic eruption which would be powerful enough to trigger a so-called ‘mega tsunami’.
Tatsuki is predicting the tsunami will have a gigantic impact zone, enough to cause devastation over Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The wild prediction has had a major impact on tourism in Japan, with Japanese cities such as Kagoshima and Kumamoto being hit hardest.
Tourists canceling holidays
Speaking to CNN, CN Yuen, managing director of WWPKG, a travel agency based in Hong Kong, explained that bookings to Japan dropped by 50 percent over Easter, and figures have continued to be low since.
And the Chinese embassy in Tokyo issuing a warning about natural disasters in Japan earlier this year has also added fuel to the fire.
Kumamoto in Japan (Getty Stock Photo)
A 50 percent decline for flights to Japan between late June and early July has also been recorded, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
Airlines cutting flights
Amid fears of a megaquake hitting southern Japan, Hong Kong Airlines has seen a decline in flight sales.
As a result, the carrier will reportedly cut flights to Kagoshima and Kumamoto for the months of July and August, according to a report by news.com.au.
“We deeply apologise for the inconvenience caused by this flight adjustment and promise to do our best to assist affected passengers and provide proper travel arrangements,” Hong Kong Airlines said.
Hong Kong Airlines have canceled flights (Getty Stock Photo)
The airline say affected passengers can rebook for alternative destinations, such as other cities in Japan and China.
But those fancying something completely different can head to the likes of Da Nang in Vietnam, Thailand’s capital Bangkok, or even Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
The science behind it
Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai has dismissed the claims made by Tatsuki in the comic The Future I Saw back in 1999, a book based on some of her wildest dreams.
“It’s a serious issue when unscientific claims spread on social media and impact tourism,” the governor said in a press conference back in April.
“Japanese people aren’t fleeing the country, so I want to reassure everyone to please visit Japan with peace of mind.”
