Japanese Travel Agency Launches 'Snow Shoveling Experience' Tour for Foreign Visitors
Priced at 2.4 Million Won per Person, Gaining Popularity Especially Among Chinese Tourists
"Transforming a Tough Local Chore into a Profitable Tourism Business"
A Japanese travel agency has launched a "Snow Shoveling Experience" tour package for foreign tourists, gaining popularity. Photo by TBS
A Japanese travel agency has attracted attention by launching a 'snow shoveling experience' tour for foreign tourists. Despite its high price of 2.4 million won, the product is gaining great popularity, especially among Chinese tourists.
On the 18th (local time), according to the Hong Kong media South China Morning Post (SCMP), recently the Sapporo travel agency 'JYOSETSU' in Hokkaido, northern Japan, introduced a snow shoveling tour as a local specialty.
Sapporo is one of the cities with the heaviest snowfall in the world. One-third of the year experiences subzero temperatures, and the average annual snowfall reaches 5 meters every winter, making 'snow shoveling' a very difficult task for local residents. However, the travel agency has developed this into a profitable tourism business for foreigners, drawing attention.
One Japanese netizen admired, "The person who first came up with this idea must be a genius." Another netizen commented, "Many people in southern China rarely see snow," and "This experience will be refreshing and enjoyable."
A Japanese travel agency has launched a "Snow Shoveling Experience" tour package for foreign tourists, gaining popularity. Photo by TBS
The travel agency offers tourists the opportunity to ride on a snow removal truck and observe the snow removal process in Sapporo. Visitors can also try snow removal themselves, and when there is no snow removal, they can tour inside the snow removal vehicle. The experience is offered for 1 to 6 people at 250,000 yen (2.37 million won), including one meal. It is available from January to early March.
Chinese tourists who completed the experience left positive reviews on social networking services (SNS). They wrote, "This is the first time I have seen so much snow. Truly a special experience," "Everywhere was covered in white snow. An unforgettable happy memory," "It was cold and tough, but I want to come again," and "Highly recommend it to those seeking a new kind of travel." SCMP explained that 'snow shoveling' is becoming a new trend among young Chinese travelers who prioritize experiences over shopping.
Meanwhile, according to the January foreign visitor statistics released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreigners who visited Japan last month was 3,781,000, an increase of 40.6% compared to the same month last year. This is 8.3% higher than the previous record high of 3.49 million in December last year.
Among them, Korean visitors ranked second with 967,100 last month, following China. In January last year, the number was 857,039, ranking first among all countries. The number of Korean tourists last month increased by 12.8% compared to the same month last year, marking the highest monthly figure ever recorded. JNTO analyzed the increase in Korean tourists by stating, "Although there was a relative weakening of the Korean won against the yen in exchange rates, the addition of temporary holidays during the Lunar New Year holiday increased demand for overseas travel," and "The number of flights from Incheon to destinations such as Kumamoto and New Chitose in Hokkaido was also increased."
A Japanese travel agency has launched a "Snow Shoveling Experience" tour package for foreign tourists, gaining popularity. Photo by TBS
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