Recently, "Hokkaido Travel Vouchers" have become more common in newspaper and online advertisements promoting Hokkaido tours. But many people are probably wondering, "What exactly are Hokkaido Travel Vouchers?"

So, I'd like to give you a more detailed and easy-to-understand introduction to the currently popular "Hokkaido Travel Voucher."

1. What are Hokkaido travel vouchers? How much can I save?

Hokkaido travel vouchers are a set of travel vouchers worth 10,000 yen that can be purchased for 6,000 yen.Travel vouchers worth 4,000 yen per setThis refers to the item (multiple sets can be purchased).

With such great value, anyone who wants to go to Hokkaido, or is planning to go, would want this, right?

Why is it such a good deal?

That's because this travel voucher itself is a project that utilizes government funds from the "Emergency Support Grant for Regional Revitalization and the Livelihoods of Local Residents (Regional Consumption Stimulation and Livelihood Support Type)" (it's a bit long, isn't it?). It's basically an attempt to attract lots of tourists using government money.

So, all that's left is to buy the travel voucher! But before that, there's a point to be made. Actually, there are different conditions for using (i.e., purchasing) these "Hokkaido travel vouchers," and the places where they can be used vary, so you need to understand those differences.

There are usage restrictions!

First, there are two major restrictions on who can purchase and use Hokkaido travel vouchers. These are:① Persons residing outside Hokkaidoso,② Arriving in Hokkaido via an airport within Hokkaido other than New Chitose Airport (one-way travel only)　It means that it can be used by those who do so.

First, people living in Hokkaido cannot purchase it (it is intended for people in Hokkaido)"Dosanko Travel Voucher"There is another one. For more details...Click here). Furthermore, this service cannot be used by those who use New Chitose Airport for both their outbound and return flights. In other words, even if you want to go to major tourist destinations close to Chitose, such as Sapporo, Otaru, or Noboribetsu Onsen, you must use an airport other than New Chitose Airport for at least one leg of your journey.

2. There are two types of Hokkaido travel vouchers!

Now, there are two main types of vouchers that bear the name "Hokkaido Travel Voucher."
・"Let's travel! Hokkaido travel voucher"
• "Let's Travel! Hokkaido Travel Voucher - Voucher for Certified Tours Only"
There are two types:

The differences are shown in the table below. (※Differences are highlighted in color.)

If you look at them, you will see the following differences.

・"Let's travel! Hokkaido travel voucher" is
A ticket for people who buy their own airline tickets to go to Hokkaido.And
The voucher can be used at "certified accommodation and tourist facilities" within Hokkaido.

・The "Let's Travel! Hokkaido Travel Voucher - Voucher for Certified Tours Only" is,
A voucher used by people who book and purchase Hokkaido tours sold by travel agencies.And the place to use the voucher is a travel agency (that handles certified tours).

Furthermore, the term "certified accommodation/tourist facility" refers to:Hokkaido travel vouchers cannot be used at all facilities within Hokkaido.That's what they said. You can check which facilities accept the vouchers on this page, so be sure to check before purchasing your Hokkaido travel voucher.
Many certified facilities have banners like this on their websites (though some may not).

And also regarding the "Let's Travel! Hokkaido Travel Voucher - Voucher for Certified Tours Only,"The number of travel agencies and tours that sell these tours is limited.Therefore, make sure you can purchase a ticket specifically for certified tours (as there is a limited number available), then find and book a certified tour, and only then purchase the ticket (however, there is a limited number of tickets available for certified tours).
Certified tours are marked with this symbol.

Otherwise, even if you buy a ticket specifically for certified tours, if the tour is fully booked and you can't make a reservation,Tickets for certified tours are non-refundable.

3. How many tickets can I buy (i.e., use)?

You can purchase and use the "Let's Travel! Hokkaido Travel Vouchers" up to 10 sets per person (worth 100,000 yen = a saving of 40,000 yen), and the "Let's Travel! Hokkaido Travel Vouchers - Certified Tour Exclusive Vouchers" for 10,000 yen per night of tour (up to a maximum of 5 nights).

The two images above are illustrations of the "Let's Travel! Hokkaido Travel Vouchers." One set (worth 10,000 yen) consists of one 5,000 yen voucher and five 1,000 yen vouchers (no change will be given when using the vouchers).

This is an image of the "Let's Travel! Hokkaido Travel Voucher - Voucher for Certified Tours Only." It consists of one 10,000 yen voucher.

4. When can I use it and when can I use it?

The period during which it can be used isFrom April 2015, 9 to May 1, 2016Please note that "certified tour-only tickets" are only valid for tours that end by February 29th, so tours departing on February 28th and ending on March 1st are not eligible.

5. What kind of tour is a certified tour?

Roughly speaking,Tours to destinations outside of Sapporo, such as Hakodate, Asahikawa, Obihiro, Kushiro, and Abashiri.And it comes with perks such as admission tickets to tourist attractions and experiences.

Since you have the opportunity, why not book a certified tour and enjoy places like the World Heritage site of Shiretoko, Lake Akan famous for its marimo algae, Wakkanai, Japan's northernmost point, and Hakodate, which is generating buzz with the opening of the Shinkansen next spring?

Image of Shiretoko Pass in autumn foliage

6. It's such a great deal!

Now, let me show you some real-world examples to illustrate just how much you can save.

In the case of "Let's travel! Hokkaido travel voucher"

In the case of this voucher, the eligible accommodations and tourist facilities are certified accommodations and tourist facilities (eligible facilities areClick here) This will be used in that context.

For example,If you stay in accommodation costing 20,000 yen per person per nightYou can purchase travel vouchers worth 10,000 yen for 6,000 yen.The actual cost of the accommodation was a mere 12,000 yen.Wow, that's huge!
This might be a great opportunity to stay at a dream hotel or inn that you've always wanted to stay at but couldn't afford before!

In the case of "Let's travel! Hokkaido Travel Voucher - Voucher for certified tours only"

For example,Includes tickets to enjoy both the Snow Museum and Asahiyama Zoo! 3-day Asahikawa tour (departing from Tokyo)In this case, the cheapest travel price starts from 23,800 yen per person (based on 4 people sharing a room).
With this tour, you can use a 2-night voucher worth 20,000 yen, so the actual cost is 23,800 - (difference of 4,000 x 2 vouchers) = 15,800 yen!
Image of the Asahikawa Snow Museum

Hakodateyama Ropeway ticket & Goryokaku Tower admission ticket included! 4-day Hakodate tour (departing from Tokyo)In this case, the cheapest travel price starts from 28,600 yen per person (based on 4 people sharing a room).
With this tour, you can use a 3-night voucher worth 30,000 yen, so the actual cost is 28,600 - (difference of 4,000 x 3 vouchers) = 16,600 yen!
A 3-night stay, round-trip flights, and even perks, all for just 16,600 yen and up—you'd be crazy not to go!

(The above tour information isHere）

Of course, various tours are sold by different travel agencies, so please compare them!

Image of autumn leaves at Onuma Park in Hakodate

7. By the way, is it still available for purchase? What's the sales situation?

As I've explained so far, actually, Hokkaido travel vouchers includeThere is a limit to the number of tickets that can be sold.However, the number of sets was an astonishing 120,000 (worth 12 billion yen!).
So, perhaps because there's a sufficient quantity, there still seems to be a fair number left as of the end of September, about two months after its release. However, we don't know when it will sell out,We recommend that you decide on your trip and buy your tickets as soon as possible.

There are still many things you should know, such as precautions for use and how to purchase, so if you're interested, please check out the official website below!

Let's travel! Hokkaido travel voucher
The official homepage isHere

Let's travel! Hokkaido Travel Voucher (For certified tours only)
The official homepage isHere

Contact
Hokkaido Travel Voucher Call Center
011-351-3162
Weekdays 9:00-19:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays: 10:00 AM - 18:00 PM

Image provided (in part): Hokkaido Premium Travel Voucher Management Office

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