Foreign investors keep their distance from Niseko
The winter ski resort district of Niseko in Hokkaido has been home to the highest land price increases in Japan for the past few years as it undergoes a rapid change into a high-class ski destination for Asia’s wealthy. However, the boom times may have come to a crashing halt as the novel coronavirus wreaks havoc with the tourist-dependent town.
Aussie tourists turn their back on Niseko
Australians have been a long staple of Niseko’s winter crowd. But, recent tourist numbers show a shifting trend as Aussies shun the slopes of Niseko for the ski fields in Honshu.
In 2018, foreign tourists spent a total of 465,000 nights in Niseko. Visitors from Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries in Asia are up, while visitor numbers from Australia are down by much as 20% since 2015.