Over recent years Niseko has been promoted and received increasing media coverage of the powder snow the area. This has brought along a massive influx of investment to the area. Within the last 12 months the Hanazono area, Higashiyama resort, who also recently announced that the hotel will be part of the Hilton Group and Moiwa have all been purchased by massive international corporations with plans to develop the current structure.
What will this do to Niseko?
After all Niseko is still a relatively small tourist destination compared to other world wide ski destinations, can it handle what lies in the future? Will the locals be happy with what Niseko will transform into, many of them are starting to sell up and move! Some are cashing in on the increasing value of their properties, can not blame them for that, others are just disgusted on what their sleepy paradise has turned into!
It is pleasing to see the local business owners that rely on tourism and investment joining forces with Aoki-san who has formed the Niseko Tourist Board. The Niseko Tourist Boards main roll will be to promote Niseko as a destination and ensure domestic and internationally owned companies reinvest funds back into the community to help cover expenses the local community have incurred due to the rapid increase of tourist numbers, also to invest in increasing town infrastructure, also to handle the tourist numbers Niseko is receiving.
Aoki-san, we wish you luck and thank you for taking the first steps in ensuring Niseko will become a sustainable tourist destination!
Only time will tell what the future holds for Niseko. We hope the people involved have more than YEN as their best interest, otherwise the bubble will burst and another fantastic part of the world will be slayed by the corporate world!
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