---
title: US Becomes Niseko’s Top Foreign Overnight Guest Market For First Time
date: 2026-07-02T23:50:00+09:00
author: Chris Pickering
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section: News
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[Resort News](https://uchijapan.com/news/resorts)# US Becomes Niseko’s Top Foreign Overnight Guest Market For First Time

Jul 02, 2026

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   ![Love Niseko](https://d1g90p0r985xbs.cloudfront.net/general/_480x270_crop_center-center_60_line/Love-Niseko.jpg)The United States became Niseko’s largest foreign overnight guest market for the first time in 2025-26, according to the latest winter report from Niseko Tourism.

The United States became Niseko’s largest foreign overnight guest market for the first time in 2025-26, according to the latest winter season report from Niseko Tourism.

The report, which covers the Niseko tourism area of Kutchan, Niseko and Rankoshi, shows that the US recorded 40,504 overnight guests over the April-to-March year, up 15.2% from the previous year. That placed the US ahead of Australia, which recorded 37,134 overnight guests, Hong Kong with 37,039, Taiwan with 34,134, China with 26,583 and Singapore with 24,692.

The shift is notable because Niseko’s international market has long been associated most closely with Australia and Hong Kong. Those markets remain extremely important, but the latest data suggests North America is now playing a larger role in the resort’s visitor mix.

The report also shows that Australia continues to be a major force during the core winter period. In the October-to-March data, Australia led both foreign guest headcount and guest nights, supported by a longer-stay profile. The US ranked second by headcount during the same period, with strong growth in guest nights, suggesting that North American visitors are not only arriving in greater numbers but also staying longer.

That longer-stay pattern is one of the more important details in the report. Foreign guest nights grew much faster than foreign guest numbers, indicating that Niseko’s international market is becoming more accommodation-led rather than simply visitor-count led. For resorts, that matters because guest nights are what support hotels, serviced apartments, rental villas, restaurants, transport and local services.

The China market also proved more resilient than might have been expected. Despite political tensions and a travel advisory issued before the winter peak, Chinese guest nights still increased year on year, and China remained the fifth-largest foreign overnight guest market in the annual ranking.

The wider 2025-26 winter season was unusual. Total snowfall was below the 10-year average, but January delivered the strongest single-month snowfall in five seasons, creating strong peak conditions after a slower start. Total winter visitors across the three Niseko towns reached 2.135 million, up 8.4% year on year, with much of the growth coming in the shoulder months of November and March.

For Niseko, the report points to a market that is still growing, but also changing. The US rise to first place is the headline, yet the broader story is one of a more diversified visitor base, longer stays and continued international demand across several key markets. Australia remains central, Hong Kong remains close behind, Taiwan is growing strongly, and the US has now moved from emerging strength to top position.

That diversification should be positive for Niseko’s long-term resilience. A resort that depends too heavily on one or two source markets can be vulnerable to exchange rates, flight access, politics or changing travel habits. Niseko’s latest winter data suggests its international appeal is becoming broader, even as the resort continues to face familiar challenges around pricing, accommodation supply, transport and peak-season capacity.