A delegation of Nagano region tourism executives, resort managers and city mayors headed to Sydney to promote the Japanese prefecture as an all-year-round destination.
Popular among Australians for its snowcapped mountains, ski slopes, hot springs and snow monkeys, Nagano seeks to expand its appeal to the warmer “green” months.
The Nagano Tourism Organization, led by managing director Keisuke Sato, is looking to build on the record numbers of Australians holidaying in winter to experience the region in the other seasons.
They are urging more Australians to experience the great outdoors, whether it’s for thrill seeking experiences, wellness holidays or for the area’s culture and colourful festivals. Dining out on Nagano’s traditional cuisine, including Soba (a classic buckwheat noodles dish for centuries), is also in the menu.
Among the major attractions outside winter is the ancient route Nakasendo which for more than 400 years cut a path through the mountainous heart of main island Honshu and is a drawcard for hikers.
“Trekking is popular as there are many trails to walk and the views are breathtaking, especially around cherry blossom time in spring when the mountains are still covered in snow,” Hakuba Valley Tourism’s Yoshimi Koyasu said.
Her comments were echoed by 18th generation family Japanese inn owner Akira Mori who said the May to June and September to November periods were ideal times to holiday in this mountainous region.
As president of the Ryokan Sakaya hot spring inn, Akira said during those seasons guests could join a tour where they ventured into the mountains to pick Japanese vegetables for the dinner table.
Ryokan Sakaya (Nozawa Onsen) is in the middle of a hot spring town, where holidaying guests visit the outdoor springs several times a day wearing traditional yukata robes.
During the ski season, Australians are travelling to Nagano in record numbers, with figures released by the Japan National Tourism Organization pointing to more visitors to the mountainous destination than from any other source market.
The delegation’s visit began with a two-hour travel trade showcase at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney with around 30 local travel trade representatives on hand to learn more about Nagano’s top attractions and hidden gems
On the following day, 14 of the group had business meetings with executives of Japanese airlines ANA and JAL as well as the officials of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
Three city mayors – Kenji Ogiwara (Nagano City), Yoshinao Gaun (Matsumoto City) and Gaku Hirasawa (Yamanouchi Town) – were among the special guests to also learn about Sydney’s success in attracting international travellers through such promotions as VIVID Sydney and activities such as Bridgeclimb.
On Sunday the delegation took part in the Snow Travel Expo at Darling Harbour’s International Convention Centre.
This month’s visit followed last year’s Nagano hosting of the Australian Marketplace, organised by Tourism Australia. The August event provided a platform for representatives from the Australian tourism industry to establish business relationships with key qualified travel agencies, wholesalers, and tour operators from Japan.
Nagano, which hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, was chosen as the venue to strengthen tourism ties between Australia and Japan.
