Welcoming a record 42.68 million international visitors in 2025, the island nation of Japan has in recent years seen larger numbers of tourists descend not just upon major cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto, but also holiday destinations previously visited primarily by natives from different parts of Japan.

These include the tropical Okinawa Islands and the multiple ski resorts across the Hokkaido prefecture.

Numbers released by the local tourism board and cited by PlanetSki show that international visitors coming for the ski season jumped by more than 40% from 2024 to 2025. The numbers for the season that runs from November 2025 to February 2026 are still being recorded.

Air Canada announces only direct flight to Sapporo from North America

As the capital and largest city of the Hokkaido prefecture, Sapporo often serves as the entry point for international skiers flying in to Japan and then moving toward the ski towns and resorts.

Amid this increase in demand, Canadian flag carrier Air Canada announced a new direct flight between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and  Sapporo-Chitose Airport (CTS) that it will launch in December 2026.

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The route is special, as it grants Air Canada the title of the only North American airline to fly directly to the city. Along with being a ski gateway, Sapporo is also known as a flower-blossom and beer destination at different points of the year.

The flight, however, will run seasonally from Dec. 17, 2026, to March 25, 2027, on a Boeing 787-9. Spanning 4,288 miles, it will take nine hours and 10 minutes westbound and eight hours and 15 minutes eastbound.

It will run three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in the westward direction and Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays heading east.

Air Canada uses Vancouver as a base for many Asian destinations.

Image source: Miguel Lagoa/Shutterstock

“Air Canada’s new flights provide the fastest way to reach Sapporo”

The Boeing 787-9 has 255 seats, of which 20 are business class, 21 are premium economy, and 214 are regular economy.

Sapporo was selected both due to growing tourist interest and as a connector for travelers from Asia looking to work a ski trip into a holiday before going onward to North America, according to Air Canada Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer Mark Galardo.

“Leveraging Vancouver’s geographic proximity, Air Canada’s new flights provide the fastest way to reach Sapporo, saving more than two hours travel time each way,” Galardo said in a statement.

“For our customers in Hokkaido, Air Canada’s new flights provide the only non-stop and the fastest way to reach the North American continent, with connections to over 45 destinations across Canada, the United States and Mexico at our YVR hub.”

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Routes to these types of resort cities can be a gamble for the airline, and uptake from the 2026-2027 season will show Air Canada whether it is worth bringing back for the coming year. While buying them now will require knowing one’s schedule quite far in advance, seats are already for sale on the Air Canada website.

“Whether people are avid snow enthusiasts, cultural or culinary connoisseurs, or global explorers, Air Canada’s new service will make discovering Japan’s vibrant northern regions more convenient than ever,” Galardo said in further promoting the route.

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