It was revealed on March 4 that the Shikotsuko Youth Hostel in the city of Chitose, which closes at the end of this month, will be purchased by Tsuruga Kanko Kaihatsu (Kushiro), a subsidiary of the major Hokkaido hotelier Tsuruga Holdings (Kushiro). The sales contract will be signed within the month. It is undecided as to whether the building will be reconstructed or refurbished, but the policy is to utilize it as an accommodation facility.

　According to the Tsuruga Group, consultations regarding the sale were instigated by the Shikotsuko Youth Hostel’s owners Japan Youth Hostels Inc. (Tokyo) sometime last December, and the decision was made to purchase due to the facility’s favorable location close to New Chitose Airport and Sapporo, and its potential synergetic effect on the two hotels already run by the group nearby at Lake Shikotsu.

　Shikotsuko Youth Hostel comprises an old building and new annex; the old building is a two-story wooden structure with 560 m2 of floorspace, while the new annex is a two-story reinforced concrete structure with a basement, and a total floorspace of 1,440 m2. The old building was built 60 years ago. According to the Tsuruga Group, “we want it to function as a base for activities that lead to the revitalization of Lake Shikotsu as a whole, as an accommodation facility where people can stay within a reasonable price range”.