Jetstar sale: Pay for flight from Gold Coast to Japan, return for free

A major airline’s latest sale has slashed prices for direct flights from the Gold Coast to a popular Asian destination - by making the return flight free.

TOURISTS travelling from Gold Coast Airport to Japan have been offered the opportunity to do so at a remarkably low price thanks to Jetstar’s latest sale.

The low-fares airline is making the return flight free for thousands of passengers who book between now and Tuesday.

It means passengers could fly return to Japan for a base price of as little as $329.

The free return flights are available for selected dates between May and December.

The sale comes just over ten years after Jetstar launched its direct flights from the Gold Coast to Tokyo in December 2008.

In July 2014 the airline started using Boeing Dreamliners on the popular route.

Jetstar’s first direct flight from the Gold Coast to Tokyo takes off in December 2008.

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Recent figures show foreign tourists are pouring into the Gold Coast in record numbers – staying longer, and spending more than before.

Research has also shown a 170 per cent growth in trips to Japan by Australians over the last five years, with travel agents reporting more bookings to the Land of the Rising Sun than long-time Aussie favourites, Bali or Thailand.

The data, collected by the Japan National Tourism Organisation, is set to only get bigger with tourist numbers set to double for the Rugby World Cup in September and the 2020 Olympic Games next year.

“Japan’s strength and appeal as a travel destination lies in our difference — we can offer experiences that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, like eating yakitori in a laneway bar and chatting with locals, soaking in a natural hot-spring with a view of Mt Fuji or even hiking along an ancient trail and visiting beautifully preserved post-towns (places where travellers could rest on their journey in the 1600s),” said Kana Wakabayashi, executive director of the Japan National Tourism Organisation in Sydney.

Japan has become a very popular destination for travellers from the Gold Coast.

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The sale also comes as better exchange rates mean Australian travellers have more yen to spend, with Japan National Tourism Organization figures showing Aussies were Japan’s highest spending tourists in 2018, spending an average of $3075 per visit.

“Favourable economic conditions now mean Australian dollars go further in Japan than many other currencies, and the statistics show our Australian visitors are taking full advantage to spend more yen,” Ms Wakabayashi said.