Japan Airlines Co. has said it will launch a campaign to offer free round-trip domestic flight tickets to up to 50,000 foreign nationals who visit Japan next summer.

The initiative, announced Thursday, is partly aimed at encouraging those who visit for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to travel to rural areas in the country and experience local attractions.

The program will cover overseas JAL’s mileage program members who will stay in Japan during the July-September period next year. JAL will start accepting applications in late February, with the free tickets to be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applicants will be asked to select Haneda Airport, Osaka International Airport or Kansai International Airport as the departure point and pick preferred travel dates.

They will then be given tickets that will take them to and from a destination to be chosen by JAL from among four candidates.

The airline is collaborating on the campaign with the Japan Tourism Agency, the Japan National Tourism Organization and Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

“We hope this prompts overseas travelers to become ‘fans of Japan,’ ” JAL said in a statement.