Although visitors from overseas and outside the prefecture have dropped significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic, a number of ski resorts in Hokkaido are seeing many local skiers this season, with some even experiencing an increase in such guests compared with the average year.
Given the perception of skiing as a safe outdoor activity carrying a low chance of COVID-19 infection, families who are hesitant to travel far are apparently skiing in their local area. Ski resort operators are not only focusing on strengthening precautions against the coronavirus but are also offering services targeting local residents.
Sanlaiva, a ski resort in the city of Noboribetsu, saw a 14% increase in the number of people using its lifts compared with last year, welcoming a total of 207,000 people as of Feb. 21. The proportion of overseas visitors to the resort was actually relatively low even before the pandemic, so it is the number of guests from the Iburi area, who usually account for the majority, that is on the rise.