Niseko region: Foreign population increases for the first time in three years: 1,244, nearing 20-year high Employment growth, winter hiring coming forward

北海道ニセコ町 (niseko.lg.jp)

Niseko real estate News

[Kutchan, Niseko] As of the end of June, the foreign population of the Niseko area (Kutchan and Niseko towns) based on the Basic Resident Register increased by 344 from the same month last year to a total of 1,244, the first increase in three years. Of these, the town of Niseko had 400, an increase of 131, setting a record high for June. This is likely due to the end of border measures to combat the novel coronavirus at the end of April, which has expanded employment opportunities in the tourism sector in the summer, as well as the early hiring of foreign workers who can speak multiple languages at resorts in the winter.

The foreign population in both towns as of the end of June greatly exceeded the total of 999 in 2019 before the corona crisis, approaching the 1,391 in 2020, the highest number in the past five years. In 2020, tourism in the Niseko area was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and it is said that there were many foreigners who left the country with their resident cards in place and had their status of residence expired after 2008, removing them from their basic resident registers. For this reason, it seems likely that the population in June this year will actually be higher.

■ Shrinking rate of decline in summer
In both towns, the number of foreigners who came to Japan on working holidays in the winter and worked at resorts increased, and the pattern of decreasing in the summer has been repeated, but the foreign population in Niseko Town in June has decreased significantly from 532 in February. do not have. A person in charge of the town’s residents’ life section said, “We’ll be back to where we were before the coronavirus crisis in winter, and we’ll probably have more jobs in the summer, so the annual permanent population will increase.”

At the five affiliated hotels of Niseko Village Ski Resort in the town, as of the end of June, the number of foreign employees employed year-round had doubled from the same month of the previous year to about 130, surpassing even before the corona crisis. In anticipation of a recovery in the number of Korean golfers and a further increase in the number of foreign skiers in winter, we will strengthen the recruitment of Koreans and people from Asia who can speak English. In addition to the impact of the decrease in Japanese tourism personnel due to the corona crisis, foreigners account for 50% of the year-round employees. Eiichi Tanaka, the manager of the management company of the operating company, said, “We want to increase customer satisfaction by having multinational staff serve guests who are becoming more and more multinational.”

■ 24 nationalities
At Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, a luxury accommodation facility in Iwaobetsu, Kutchan, half of the approximately 190 employees are foreigners, representing 24 nationalities. The adjacent summer experience facility is popular, and the occupancy rate of accommodation is increasing, and the system will be strengthened in preparation for the increase in the number of customers in the next winter. Susan Manson, general manager of the human resources department, said, “Last year, we had a short time to prepare from the time immigration restrictions were eased in October to the start of winter. This year, we have started hiring ahead of schedule.”
　
There are plans to build more lodging facilities in the resort areas of both towns in the future, and because of the multilingual support, it is likely that more foreign workers will be hired and settled throughout the year.

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Niseko real estate company CEO’s perspective

It was great to see tourists back in Niseko after the corona crisis last season.

However, it was difficult for companies to stabilize employment in resort part-time jobs that were limited to winter and summer, leading to a deterioration in the quality of services. Shuttle cars for condominiums do not come for a long time, cleaning staff cannot be found in the rooms, and restaurants have shortened business hours due to the inability to secure human resources.

This season, I would like to secure the necessary human resources by winter so that tourists can see Niseko, which we can boast to the world.