10,000 Free Trips to Japan

[Ed Wetschler]

"Tokyo: Japan will offer 10,000 foreigners free airfares to visit the country next year, in an attempt to boost the tourism industry which has been hit by the ongoing nuclear disaster, a report said on Monday. 

"The Japan Tourism Agency plans to ask would-be travellers to submit online applications for the free flights, detailing which areas of the country they would like to visit, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported. 

"The agency will select the successful entrants and ask them to write a report about their trip which will be published on the internet."

 

That was from gulfnews.com.  Stay tuned for details on the applications etc. 

[Elaine Baran]

Just saw this posted on the net as well; should be interesting to see how this develops.  I sent it to our staff and contacts as soon as I saw it.   Wonder if JNTO will be letting Japan specialists know early?   Any idea on where the "foreigners" are going to be from?

[Ed Wetschler]

I don't know anything, Elaine, but I think you're onto something with your last question: There may be an allotment of free tickets per country based on its market potential. I expect the U.S. and Australia to get pretty large shares; also China, Taiwan, maybe Russia, maybe Germany. Still, it's all guesswork at this point.

[Elaine Baran]

I wonder if they'll have "freebies" blog and tweet about their trips?  I blogged my entire trip last May so our clients would  know what was really going on in Japan after the earthquake.  Things were pretty normal in May with just a few affects (every other street light out on a small street in Tokyo, for instance).  Use of social media would be a great to get the word out that Japan is as exciting and enduring as ever.

[Ed Wetschler]

I'm sure you're right about the blogging/tweeting, Elaine. Gotta be right.

[Ed Wetschler]

Elaine, some (not all) answers to your Q's about the 10,000 free trips to Japan. "Japan is offering free flights to 10,000 foreigners to visit the country next April....Travelers can apply online for the free tickets, detailing specific areas of the country they would like to visit, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun.

 

"The program is subject to government budgetary approval and travelers have to pay for their accommodation and other expenses.

"Tourism authorities will randomly select some of those invited to write positive reports about their traveling experiences...."

 

That's from a Hong Kong source. More details to come, no doubt. 

[Richard Simmons]

Thanks for sharing this Ed.

I was planning to go next year. I want to visit my friend at his farm in Niigata !

Will be using lovely shinkansen a lot with my JR railpass : )

Do you know the application process for the tickets?

Best wishes,

 

Richard

[Ed Wetschler]

The application isn't out yet, Richard, and as the article cautioned, "the program is subject to government budgetary approval." Translation: This might be great -- or this might not even happen. We just have to wait and see.

 

[Richard Simmons]

ok - thanks for the info.

I'd better keep saving my pennies then : )