Japan Airlines to give away 50,000 free flights to international visitors in 2020

The national carrier of Japan will give free domestic round-trip flights around the country this summer

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai with Mohammed bin Ahmed Jaber Al Harbi (Maj) at Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine. Instagram / faz3

Three geishas walking the streets of Kyoto, Japan. Instagram / faz3

Traditional wooden buildings in Kyoto. Instagram / faz3

Sheikh Hamdan seems to have travelled between Kyoto and Tokyo in the Shinkansen, a high-speed bullet train. Instagram / faz3

When in Tokyo, the Dubai royal posed with the city as his backdrop, with the red and white Tokyo Tower standing out. Instagram / faz3

Uncle Saeed poses beside the statue of the Georgian sumo wrestler Tochinoshin Tsuyoshi (Levan Gorgadze) in central Tokyo. Instagram / faz3

He then got playful with a statue of Japan's rugby captain Michael Leitch. Instagram / faz3

Later, Sheikh Hamdan had the 'best burger in Japan' at Aldebaran. Instagram / faz3

The Dubai royal also posted a close-up of autumnal leaves. Instagram / faz3

Travellers headed to Japan this summer can apply for free flights to other destinations around the country.

Tokyo-based Japan Airlines (JAL) will begin accepting applications for 50,000 free round-trip tickets from February 2020.

The initiative is supported by Japan’s Tourism Agency and the Japan National Tourism Organisation as a way to encourage visitors coming to the country for the 2020 Summer Olympics to explore more than just the tourist hot-spots such as Tokyo and Kyoto.

Travellers will have to be ready for an adventure as the free round-trip flight will be to a surprise destination. When applying, visitors will be able to select from four places across the country. However, travellers won't be told until three days before travel which destination they will be flying to.

Applications can be submitted in groups of up to four people and there will be a choice of departure and arrival times. JAL will also give travellers information on sightseeing, tours and local attractions in the destination selected to make trip-planning smoother. Information regarding accommodation is yet to be released.

All 50,000 free tickets will depart from Tokyo Haneda Airport or Osaka, and the trips need to take place between July and September.

Japan Airlines will give away 50,000 round-trip flight tickets across Japan this summer. Courtesy JAL

To qualify, travellers need to be registered in JAL's airline loyalty programme and hold a passport issued by a country other than Japan. Japanese passport holders that have permanent residence in another country can also apply to see more of their home country.

When boarding the free flights, travellers will be asked for proof that they visited Japan during the summer period. Interested travellers can find out more online.

Tourism is booming in Japan. In 2018, over 31 million international travellers visited the country according to data from Tourism Japan.

Visitors that miss out on the free flights can still enjoy a variety of other offers to celebrate Japan hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics. These include discounted flights on selected international and domestic routes, cashback offers on shopping, half-price luggage storage services and lower entrance fees at historical attractions such as samurai heritage towns.