It doesn’t take much to convince an Aussie to take a ski holiday in Japan, because according to the country’s tourism leaders, it’s already high on the bucket list.
Speaking to KarryOn at a Japan Ski & Snow event in Sydney last month, Japan National Tourism Organisation Director, Maiko Zenki said the recent winter saw a sharp increase in the number of Aussies booking snow getaways to the country.
Latest figures show that Japan welcomed a large increase in Australian visitors between December 2014 and February 2015.
Visitor numbers during December last year were up 24 percent compared to 2013 to reach around 37,600.
In January this continued to climb to 48,583 – up 30 percent year-on-year.
And in February the 30,300 arrivals was an increase of 14 percent over the same month last year.
In fact, Zenki says the demand for Aussies wanting to ski in Japan is so strong that we made the least cancellations in 2012 after the major earthquake hit. We were also among the first nationalities to return after recovery.
“Skiing and winter in Japan is a major attraction for Australians.”
Maiko Zenki, Japan National Tourism Organisation Director
“More people know about Japan ski, they’re trying it, loving it and then they’re telling their friends about it.”
So while, Australians may be visiting on their own accord, there are still a few that might need a little nudge to book.
Here are five things that could convince your clients to get packing:
1. Value for money
Image: Jung Hsuan/Shutterstock.com
The Aussie dollar is strong against the Japanese yen at the moment, making it a great value for money destination right now.
The Australian dollar has fallen against major currencies but against the yen it is still strong, so there’s no better time to book.
2. Quality of the snow
KarryOn asked two operators and the director of Japan’s tourist bureau in Australia why Aussie should book Japan for a ski holiday and the answer was unanimous – the quality of the snow.
They all said there’s no place that produces the same quality of powder.
3. No jetlag
First, Japan is a quick nine to ten hour flight away – so it’s closer than other popular destinations in Europe and North America.
Additionally, there’s minimal jetlag because at the moment there is only a one hour time difference between Australia and Japan.
#Winning
4. Where else can you enjoy Japanese hot springs like this
There’s nothing quite like stepping out of the freezing cold and into a warm, relaxing hot spring.
And no other destination does a hot spring quite like the Japanese.
5. Japanese culture
This one is a given.
Culturally, Japan is very different from Australia and to many it is quite fascinating.
Zenki says there’s something special about the Japanese people and their hospitality is second to none.