Some Hongkongers have cancelled their trips to Japan following a new megaquake warning issued by the country's authorities, while others have said they will still proceed with extra caution.
Tour operators, meanwhile, reported no signs of reduced bookings to the country yet, while insurance insiders urged travellers to purchase coverage to ensure they were protected.
A megaquake is defined as one with a magnitude of 8 or higher.
"I think for our family situation, it's better to be safe than sorry," Dominic Kwok, 40, told the Post on Thursday.
Kwok, who works in the aviation industry along with his wife, is a frequent visitor to Japan, and they often take their five-year-old daughter with them.
But he said the family decided to halt their travel for now after the official warning and recent quakes that struck Myanmar and Thailand.
"It would probably be different if it were just my wife and me. But with a kid, that changes your whole perspective on things ... you are much more cautious," he said.
"And with the recent quakes [in Southeast Asia], it just doesn't feel right."
The couple were originally looking into summer travels to the southern prefecture of Okinawa, but were no longer going ahead with the holiday.
"I don't know yet if we will go someplace else instead ... it seems like a lot of places in Asia are a bit risky now, doesn't it?" he added.
Japanese authorities on Monday released new estimates for a potential megaquake off the country's Pacific coast, saying the worst-case scenario could result in nearly 300,000 deaths, 1.2 million people displaced and damages amounting to 270 trillion Japanese yen (US$1.84 trillion) - a significant increase from earlier predictions.
The Japanese Cabinet Office said there was an 80 per cent chance of an earthquake occurring within the next 30 years along the Nankai Trough in waters near the country's south.
In 1940, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Hokkaido and triggered a tsunami, although the destruction was relatively minimal with just 10 reported deaths and 24 injuries.
Some Hong Kong travellers, meanwhile, are going ahead with their trips but with increased caution.
"The news reported there was a chance of a quake, but so far did not say when it might happen," said James Lee, 33, who works in finance.
He planned to visit Japan for a week with his wife over the coming Easter holiday, but admitted he now felt "a little apprehensive" about the trip.
He said they would take precautions such as buying insurance and paying extra attention to related news and official announcements.
"There are still two weeks left and there might be new information in the meantime … if the Japanese meteorological authorities say there will be a severe earthquake within the next six months, we might actually cancel."
But Marisa Lei, 27, a part-time photographer, remained unfazed. Another frequent Japan visitor with two trips there already this year, Lei planned to go ahead with her Tokyo trip in June.
"I think it's important not to live in fear - they said it could happen in the next 30 years, am I really going to stop visiting for the next three decades?" she said. "I could get run over by a bus tomorrow. You just never know."
Moon Yau Moon-yee, assistant general manager at Sunflower Travel Services, said overall demand for Japan remained "very high".
"Even though the Japanese government recently announced the latest data on the increased probability of earthquakes, we have not yet received inquiries from travellers about cancelling Japan tours," he said.
"The current situation is … a small number of travellers may consider adjusting their itineraries and switching to other destinations, such as Korea, Malaysia or even emerging hotspots in mainland China like Xinjiang and Tibet."
He said based on the company's latest data, there had been no significant decrease in group bookings to Japan, especially for tours during popular travel seasons
"Most travellers still have confidence in Japan, mainly because it is a highly developed country with world-leading building and infrastructure designs that focus on earthquake resistance, providing relative safety for travellers," he explained.
But he added travellers should be well-prepared for unexpected situations and pay attention to real-time earthquake alerts by Japanese authorities.
Paul Law Siu-hung, chief executive of Qualifirst Insurance Consultants, urged travellers to Japan to purchase coverage early.
He also cautioned that people who still chose to go ahead with their trips after an earthquake or travel warning issued by local authorities might risk having their coverage reduced or voided.
"Fundamentally, insurance covers things that are not known," he said.
He also emphasised the importance of reviewing insurance policy details and advised people travelling with tour groups to purchase additional coverage as those included by operators often had limited insurance options.
