Japan Airlines gives away 50.000 free tickets in time for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games

With its unique culture and the beauty of its countryside and natural attractions such as Mount Fuji beckoning visitors, Japan has always been a favorite spot for tourists. But its appeal as a destination just got amped, with the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics taking place next year as well as Japan Airlines’ very generous promo.

Japan Airlines (JAL) is giving away 50,000 free round trip tickets for foreign visitors who wish to visit the country between July 1 and September 30, 2020, CNN reported. The campaign is well-timed as the Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo from July 24 until August 9.

However, there’s a catch. To get the free tickets, one must be registered outside of Japan with the airline’s frequent flier program called Mileage Bank. In addition, one can’t select any destination in Japan but must land in the few options being recommended by JAL, such as the Haneda airport in Tokyo or the Itami and the Kansai airports located in Osaka.

Aside from Japan Airlines, the campaign is run jointly with the economic think tank Nomura Research Institute, according to Forbes. it is also supported by both the nation’s Tourism Agency and the Japan National Tourism Organization, which explains why it aims to bring travelers outside major tourist attractions such as Kyoto and Tokyo to the less-visited parts of the country.

Around 31 million international travelers visited the country in 2018. This represents a 100 percent increase in the number of tourists just four years ago when around 13.4 million travelers visited Japan in 2014.

The figures are expected to skyrocket next year. Another 600,000 visitors, on top of the regular tourists, are expected to visit Japan specifically for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Unfortunately, most of these tourists concentrate only on Japan’s major hotspots, which mean that the economic benefit brought by tourism is only felt in a few areas. The 50,000 free ticket campaign aims to change that and encourage people to visit less-traveled locations in the country.

The first batch of free tickets will arrive by February next year. JAL is expected to release more details about the promo by January next year but what is currently known is that applications will be entertained on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are accepted until late February.