10,000 free flights to Japan

You think we’re joking? We’re not! In order to rebuild the country’s image after the tsunami in March and the nuclear disaster that followed, Japan is pulling out the big guns to lure tourists back to their country. We think this new scheme may actually work!

The plan

The tourist situation has become dire in Japan, which is why it calls for some desperate measures by the Japanese Tourism Office. Their plan? To offer as many as 10,000 free flight tickets to foreign travellers! This is the chance of a lifetime for some travellers yearning to visit one of the world’s top travel destinations.

How to get in on this deal? First you need to register on the official website of the Japanese Tourism Office (be patient, the site is overloaded), which is in charge of this whole scheme. Specify the areas of the country you’d like to visit by the deadline. From these applicants the winners of the flight tickets will be awarded by early summer of next year. It’s give and take though. Those travellers chosen to visit Japan will also have to write a short report on their trip, to be published online.

Good to know

• The tickets will be distributed beginning in April 2012
• Accommodation + any other holiday costs are the responsibility of the traveller
• The cost of this project is no less than 150 million dollars, thank you Japanese government!

Update: 13/10/2011 Just one day after launching this tourism initiative the National Tourism Office has published an update on its website informing hopeful participants that contest rules are not yet available and that first the government’s budget for next year needs to be approved before the contest can officially launch. So, hold your horses!

Tourism in Japan

While the rest of the world is putting up with a recession Japan is suffering from lack of tourists. The numbers speak for themselves: in the three months that followed the tragic events of last March, Japan recorded a huge decrease in the number of foreign visitors by 50%.

That being said, the Japanese economy and people have something to be hopeful for. Despite this year’s events, Japan remains one of the most popular long-haul travel destinations for foreingers, particularly from Europe.

Are you also dreaming of discovering Japan? Then you don’t need us to tell you to start thinking of your dream itinerary… you’ve got nothing to lose! If you don’t win, you can always keep an eye out on liligo.com for a hot deal on flights to Japan to come your way.

Need some trip inspiration? Check out our previous posts on Japan! Have you ever been? What do you think of this scheme as a way to lure tourists back to the country?

Imgs: Kenichi Nobusue, Thomas@BOD / Flickr cc.