While Japan is experiencing an influx of tourists, this may come as a surprise to many, Japan has announced that it will be giving away free domestic flights. By encouraging international travelers to visit other areas of Japan rather than its most popular tourist destinations, this promotion is intended to encourage more visitors to discover Japan’s less travelled locations.
Japan’s promotional flight offer is being made possible by the Japan National Tourism Organisation and All Nippon Airways; as part of this promotion, international travelers from the UK or other European countries are each eligible to receive up to two domestic flights to anywhere in Japan for free. Travellers will still be liable for paying any related taxes and fees associated with those flights; otherwise, the actual ticket price will be free.
Travelers can book tickets to take advantage of this promotional offer starting from November 24 and ending January 31, 2026; however, they are free to travel on their flight of choice any time after this date. The promotional free flights are being offered as part of ANA’s “Stopover and Add-on Free Fare” program; passengers travelling in eligible cabin classes can add on two additional domestic legs to the flights that they have booked internationally.
Passengers travelling to Japan will pay the same price to an international destination in Japan and receive up to two domestic flights to other destinations without having to pay the price associated with each additional leg that they are travelling. In summary, this promotional offer allows international air passengers to save on airline fare while also allowing them to explore more of Japan beyond just the major metropolitan areas.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that while this offer appears appealing on the surface, it will only be available depending on the availability of flights and routes at the time when you book your travel. If you are interested in finding out why a country that suffers from overtourism would want to encourage even more visitors to visit its country, you’re not alone in thinking about this.
Japan experienced an unprecedented year in 2024 with 36.9 million people visiting. As a result of the increasing number of visitors to popular tourist destinations, many cities (especially in Edo period cities), such as Kyoto, have been asking for help because they are becoming inundated with excessive numbers of tourists who are clogging their streets and overflowing their temples, making it impossible for locals to find their way home.
So, why would a tourist incentive program give away a free round trip flight?
The Simple Answer: Tourists like saying “I want to experience Japan”, but most tourists don’t actually experience it.
Over 90% of travelers report that they would like to visit areas of local interest and experience local cultures, however, the sad irony is that less than 10% of travelers actually step away from the common tourist routes when they travel inside Japan. Japan will attempt to alter this pattern.
With over 40 ANA domestic hubs, the main objective of this campaign is to provide a significantly more economical and easier way for visitors to travel to local regions and explore more rural locations in the country. The purpose of the campaign is to allow more visitors to experience the many amazing hot spring towns and many of Japan’s incredible archaeological and cultural sites while avoiding heavily populated tourist areas, i.e. Tokyo, Osaka, etc.
Japan is trying to address overcrowding in cities brought about by the rise of travel but is not trying to reduce the amount of travel to Japan; instead, they are working to redirect it. Japan would like to direct the flow of international traveller’s away from its large urban capital cities to parts of Japan that have beautiful nature and other attractions and that have not yet received much of the tourism spotlight. The ‘ANA’s’ latest campaign intends to continue to reduce the overcrowding in cities while providing visitors with a more authentic and enriching experience when they come to Japan.
Although the media continues to highlight the issues with increasing international tourist numbers for Japan’s large urban areas, Japan is still supporting travel to Japan, as well as marketing to international visitors to visit Japan—this time with an innovative twist. Japan is trying to get international travellers to consider using ANA to travel to other parts of Japan by providing free airfare from the major cities in Japan to all major non-capital city destinations in Japan. The message is a smart tourism management strategy for redirection of visitors to the many great things Japan has to offer that have yet to be recognized as a viable tourism destination.
