There`s no question that foreign tourism has taken a beating in Japan since the March 11th earthquake.  The number of foreign tourists dropped 32% last August & were down more like 60% last April.  Numbers are rebounding but its still tough times.

Obviously there are 2 main culprits for this, the strong Yen & the common misconception that travel beyond Fukushima poses health risks from radiation.

The Japan Tourism agency plans to combat this by giving away 10000 free international flights to the land of the rising sun starting sometime mid-2012.  Yes that`s right….10000 & FREE!

The idea is that those 10000 people will return home spreading the word that Japan is as fun & as safe as ever and a great destination for your next adventure. I`m confident that`s exactly what they`ll do……..especially those who will have spent their last week shredding knee deep powder in the Hakuba trees!

It`s an ambitious proposal & an interesting marketing strategy and i hope it helps.  I also hope thatmore than a few Hakuba bound travelers can reap some of the benefits.  So, check out the links below & we`ll update the blog as more information becomes available.

According to the Wall Street Journal, online applications will  start next April with lucky winners being selected next summer.

Check out the Wall Street Journal`s Japan Realtime article & also, have a look at the JNTO`s website for more info….& we`ll keep you posted!

Nihon Ganbare!