NAGOYA (Kyodo) Japanese tours and exchange visits to New Zealand are being canceled in the wake of the Feb. 22 earthquake in Christchurch that killed at least 165 people.

With the peak tourism season approaching, officials of the New Zealand Tourism Board stress that other areas of the country, where tourism accounts for 1 in 10 jobs, are safe.

Major Japanese travel agencies, however, have been canceling tours with itineraries that include Christchurch.