# Snow Shoveling Tours This Unusual Winter Tour in Japan Has City-Dwellers Get Out & Shovel Snow By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2015-01-06 | World Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/winter-tour References: [en.rocketnews24](http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/12/30/town-in-hiroshima-now-offering-exciting-snow-shovelling-tours/) & [tabetainjya](http://tabetainjya.com/archives/cat_3/post_3837/) The Heavy Snow Region Experience is an unusual [winter tour](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-city-of-harbin) that takes place in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, providing a way for people in snowless regions to get familiar with what makes snow so wonderful—and so much work to deal with in the winter. As a region that gets a heavy amount of snowfall each year, and has a high population of seniors, it's a clever move for the Akiota-cho Sightseeing Association to offer these tours, especially the '[Snow Shoveling Parties](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-snow-shovel).' For a fee of about ¥5,000, or $50, the Heavy Snow Region Experience Tour covers the expenses for the bus, lunch, insurance and shoveling gear. After the experience is done, the tour concludes with a visit to a [local hot spring](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sno-shower), offering a place to relax and warm up after all of that snow shoveling. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.2/10 - Popularity: 17% | Activity: 42% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [World](https://www.trendhunter.com/world) > [Travel](https://www.trendhunter.com/travel) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Winter Tourism:** Opportunity for businesses to offer unique winter experiences and tours in snowless regions. - **Senior-focused Activities:** Innovative programs that cater to the needs and interests of senior citizens, creating new revenue streams in the tourism industry. - **Experience-based Travel:** Growing demand for immersive and hands-on travel experiences, presenting opportunities for tour operators and organizers. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Tourism:** Creating winter tours and activities for people in snowless regions, tapping into new customer segments. - **Senior Care:** Developing specialized programs and services for seniors, focusing on their unique requirements and preferences. - **Hotels and Resorts:** Collaborating with tour operators to provide all-inclusive packages that combine activities like snow shoveling with relaxing experiences like visiting local hot springs. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Lesser-Traveled Japan Tours](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/japan-multiadventure.md) - [Captivating Winter Travel Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.md) - [Full Moon Snowshoe Tours](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snowshoe-tours.md) - [Experiential Workshop Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keio-plaza-hotel-tokyo.md) - [Experiential Outdoor Travel Guides](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/outdoor-japanese-travel-guide.md) - [Floating Karaoke Resort Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kaijyo-karaoke.md) - [Seasonal Hospitality Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seven-seasons-program.md) - [Pop-Up Dining Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/niseko-confidential.md) - [Train Station Sake Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oden-de-atsukan-station.md)