Qantas boosts path to slippery slopes

 

Qantas is making big moves to cater for the ski set heading for Japan. 

The Australian flag carrier has increased capacity on its popular Sydney-Sapporo route for the 2026-27 season, with flights expanding from three per week to up to five per week in response to increased  demand during the current ski season.

The enhanced schedule represents a 50% capacity increase for next season, adding more than 10,000 additional seats to cater for Australians heading to Hokkaido's snow resorts, and a total of nearly 35,000 seats between the two cities.

This comes after new data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) revealed that over one million Australians visited Japan in 2025, an increase of 15% on an already record-breaking 2024, with 121,300 visitors visiting the country during the December school holiday rush alone and start of the popular winter season.

Qantas is the only airline to establish a non-stop link between Sydney and Sapporo, with the seasonal service launching in December 2025. 

Sapporo also became the 100th destination to join the airline’s international network, boosting tourism in both directions and catering to the increasing demand from Australians looking to experience Japan’s ski slopes.

“Since launching flights from Sydney to Sapporo last month the response from customers has been incredibly strong," says Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace.

"We’re only halfway through the current season and already we’ve carried almost 10,000 customers on the route and demand is high for the rest of the season.

“Japan remains a key focus for Qantas in the Asia region. By adding more flights next season, it cements our dedication to strengthening ties between our two countries and gives Australian travellers more choice and seamless direct access to Hokkaido’s snow.”

Return economy fares from Sydney to Sapporo are available from $1,473 at qantas.com.

Tourists continue to flock to Japan

Japan’s tourism boom is showing no signs of slowing down.

The country notched up 21.5 million arrivals in the first half of 2025, a 21% jump from last year and a record high for the period, the Japan National Tourism Organization announced this week.

Tourist spending in the first six months of the year also reached new heights - 4.8 trillion yen, a roughly 23% year-over-year increase.

South Korea represented the largest source of visitors with 4.78 million travellers, a 7.7% increase from last year, China registered a major increase - a 53.5% jump to 4.71 million visitors.

In addition, Japan saw double-digit percentage increases in visitors from Taiwan and the US, although numbers from Hong Kong dipped.

Japan set a new record with 36.8 million visitors last year, and the country has set its sights on attracting 60 million tourists annually by 2030.

Japan’s top tourism source markets:
1) South Korea: 4.78 million visitors, +7.7%
2) China, 4.71 million visitors, +53.5%
3) Taiwan, 3.28 million visitors, +10.3%
4) United States, 1.7 million visitors, +26.7%
5) Hong Kong, 1.27 million visitors, -0.4%

Image; Meghan Page, Scop.io 

Expo 2025 to showcase the future

There are fewer than 50 days before Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, kicks off.

The global event that will showcase innovation and culture from around the world from April 13 to October 13.

Expo will run for 184 days and is being organized under the theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives."

Expo 2025 aims to inspire international collaboration and address global challenges through its three sub-themes: "Saving Lives," "Empowering Lives," and "Connecting Lives."

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) hopes the event will encourage visitors to explore the beauty, culture, and attractions of Japan through its "Expo + Tourism" initiative.

A total of 158 countries and regions along with nine international organisations have confirmed their participation.

You can explore your country's pavilion and discover the latest updates here: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/official-participant/

The Expo will feature a diverse line-up of national celebrations and cultural events.

Visit the JNTO website for the latest updates on Expo 2025 and travel destinations across Japan:
https://www.japan.travel/en/expo2025

Tourists can't get enough of Japan

Visitation to Japan hit an all-time high in the 2024 calendar year.

Japan's inbound tourism figures saw the Asian nation welcomed 36.87 million tourists - up by more than 15% on 2019’s previous best of 31.88 million people, Japan National Tourism Organisation data shows.

Major growth markets were South Korea and the US, both up nearly 60%, although the number of visitors from mainland China was down 27%, news portal Travel Mole reported.

Major Japanese travel agency group JTB has said it expects inbound Japan tourism to surpass 40 million for the first time in 2025.

Tourism-related spending by foreign visitors reached a record Y8.14 trillion ($US 52 billion) in 2024.

This is a 69% increase on pre-pandemic 2019.

*The number of foreign visitors to Japan is calculated based on immigration statistics compiled by the Ministry of Justice.

Tourism booms in Japan with record number of visitors

Japan is definitely the favourite Asian destination for discerning travellers right now.

Japan welcomed a million more foreign visitors in the first half of 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels, logging a new record of 17.78 million, national tourism organisation the JNTO announced.

The weak yen is attracting large crowds to Japan, with tourists splashing out on everything from kimonos to knives, boosting the local economy, AFP reported.

The January-June figure beat the previous high from 2019 of 16.63 million, an influx that has prompted overcrowding concerns at hotspots such as Kyoto and Mount Fuji.

"It is important that we promote rural regions to visitors, while taking measures against overtourism," Prime Minister Fumio Kushida.told a cabinet meeting on the nation's efforts to expand inbound tourism.

Japan is expecting 35 million overseas visitors in 2024.

Over the 2023 calendar year, 25 million visitors came to Japan, after strict pandemic-era border restrictions were lifted.

The country has set an ambitious goal of luring 60 million tourists a year by 2030 - around double 2019's full-year record of 31.88 million.

But some residents are already fed up with unruly behaviour and etiquette breaches by some foreign visitors.

In a town near Mount Fuji in May, authorities mounted a large barrier at a popular viewing spot next to a convenience store in an attempt to deter photo-taking.

New crowd control measures have been put in place on the volcano's most popular hiking trail, which now has an entry fee of 2,000 yen ($20) plus an optional donation.

Locals in historic Kyoto have complained of tourists harassing the city's famed geishas, with visitors now banned from some private alleys.

And the mayor of Himeji has said the western Japanese city, famous for its castle, could make tourists pay four times as much as locals to visit the World Heritage site.

Get on the fast train to dinosaur heaven

The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, located in Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan, is a leading dinosaur museum and is renowned for its exhibits of specimens of dinosaurs that once roamed locally.

It is impressive in both its size and scope.

Fukui is located in the the Hokuriku region in the north-west of Japan's main island of Honshu - and is now a whole lot easier for tourists to get to.

Starting from this weekend, the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) will begin the operation of 14 round trips from Tokyo per day.

With Fukui City under three hours by train from the Japanese capital, tourism is set to boom.



The capital of Fukui Prefecture is Fukui City, a small castle town  with one of the greatest dinosaur museums in the world, already attracting over 900,000 visitors each year.

Travellers also love visiting the city during cherry blossom season.

Eiheji Temple lies deep in the Fukui mountains. It was founded by Zen Master Dogen in 1244 and is  where 100 monks practice devotion daily.

Other stops on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line include Awara Onsen, an ideal day-trip destination for hot spring fans looking to bathe in central Japan's geothermal waters, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) reports.

Visitors to the Hokuriku area can benefit from using special JR rail passes to explore a variety of areas along the new shinkansen route.

Those wanting to expand their itinerary to include destinations within the Kansai region may be interested in the Hokuriku Arch Pass, which is valid for seven days and offers unlimited rides from both Tokyo and Osaka to the Hokuriku region.

Alternatively, the Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass allows for seven days of unlimited rides from Kansai to Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures.

Info: JNTO. Images: Winsor Dobbin