NISEKO NEWS
As the 2023/24 winter season gets underway, visitors to Niseko will see a more diversity than ever before.
As reported by The Hokkaido Shimbun, the foreign population of Kutchan and Niseko at the end of November stood at 2,512 persons, 560 more than the same period of 2019, just before the outbreak of Covid.
This includes 1,871 foreign-born residents of Kutchan and 641 in Niseko.
The increase appears due to an uptick in hiring staff that can speak foreign languages, especially English, at resort facilities, hotels and restaurants.
The recent rise in the foreign-born population is particularly striking in light of the fact that it shrunk dramatically – by over 80% – during the years of Covid restrictions.
The recovery of the foreign population began as soon as Japan opened its borders again in October of 2022, although many foreign workers in late 2022 and early 2023 were delayed in arriving due to a backlog of visa applications.
Foreigners now make up about 12% of the Niseko and Kutchan populations.
Source;
The Hokkaido Shimbun – 14 December 2023
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