Niseko

Original Article: (translation by Kutchannel staff)

The Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry released the results of enquiries made to foreign tourists who visited Niseko. 96.7% of the respondents rated their Niseko experience "Generally Satisfied" or higher, based on local service and support and the impressive natural scenery.

A questionnaire was distributed at 4 Niseko ski resorts in January and there were 248 responses. 46.5% stated they were "Very satisfied", 40.7% were "Satisfied", and another 9.5% were "Generally satisfied" with their holiday, yielding 96.7% positive responses. The other choices were "Neutral", "Generally dissatisfied", "Dissatisfied", and "Very dissatisfied".

Lift staff kindness and services, quantity and quality of the snow, the scenic nature, and the presentation of the ski fields all ranked very high.

Low marks were given for the lack of an ATM and the ease of exchanging currency at the local bank.

The Bureau's analysis was the having the nearest usable ATM a 15 minute drive from the ski fields was a primary factor. The results of the survey were passed on to local governments and tourist boards so that they could better serve visiting foreigners.