Sustainable Tourism Development and Japan Policies

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Mar 26, 2003 - Japan's inbound and outbound tourist ratio, namely, the number of foreign visitors to .... The Visit Japan Campaign is currently under operation through the .... As such, there have been calls for the promotion of “sustainable development”, ..... Tourists well-being in the centre of concern of Japanese tourism.
MEJIRO UNIVERSITY

Sustainable Tourism Development and Japan Policies

Researcher Khaled Alduais Yemen

Supervisor Prof. Hirota Masakazu Mejiro University Tokyo, Japan

August 2009

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author would like to take this opportunity to appreciate and acknowledge the valuable contribution and cooperation of various persons and organizations in completion of this research work. Primarily, I would like to express my sincere and deep sense of gratitude to Prof. Masakazu Hirota for his valuable guidance, continuous flow of inspiration and scholarly suggestions. I take also pleasure in thanking Prof. Akira Fukunaga from the Surugadai University for sharing his experience and knowledge with me. I am greatly indebted to Japan Foundation (JF) for their financial support for this research work. I am especially grateful to my dear friend Mr. Takuya Sasaki of the Japan Foundation. I have been greatly benefited from the study grant of the Japan Foundation, Japan Fellowship for Intellectual Exchange 2009-2010 as well as from the consultation of various libraries at Japan Foundation and Mejiro University. I am really proud of the support of H.E. Mr. Masakazu TOSHIKAGE Ambassador of Japan to Yemen, Mr. Hiroki Haruta, Second Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Yemen, and my esteemed friend Mr. Khaled Aljabali, Embassy of Japan in Yemen. I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude for their continuous encouragement, cooperation, and support. It would have been impossible to do this work without their support. And finally, special thanks go to Mrs. Sachiko SUZUKI for her great help and her presence during the interviews.

Researcher Khaled M. Alduais

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Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT................................................................................................................2 CHAPTER 1: SUSTAINABILITY , TOURISM, AND DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................3

1. Introduction........................................................................................................................3 2. Methodology......................................................................................................................5 3. Sustainable Development...................................................................................................5 4. Sustainable development and tourism...............................................................................6 5.

Sustainable Tourism..........................................................................................................6

CHAPTER 2: TOURISM IN JAPAN......................................................................................................13

2.1

Background.......................................................................................................................13

2.2

International tourism today..........................................................................................................14

2.2.1

Economic effects of travel on Japan as a whole............................................................................14

2.3

Promotion of a Tourism-based Country........................................................................................16

2.4

Efforts to realize a tourism-based country....................................................................................17

2.5

The framework of tourism policy in Japan.....................................................................................18

2.6

Tourism Policy in Japan..................................................................................................................21

2.7

Policies for sustainable tourism.....................................................................................................26

2.8

Protected Areas and Tourism in Japan..........................................................................................26

2.9

Rural tourism.................................................................................................................................27

2.10

Ecotourism in Japan.......................................................................................................................27

2.11

Green tourism................................................................................................................................30

2.12

Policy for tourism sector in Japan..................................................................................................33

2.13

Objectives of sustainable tourism in Japan...................................................................................33

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2.14

Agenda for a policy on sustainable tourism development............................................................36

2.15

Formulation of the policy..............................................................................................................36

2.16

Discussion and recommendations.................................................................................................38

2.17

Final Conclusion.............................................................................................................................39

References..................................................................................................................................................41

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Chapter 1 Sustainability, Tourism, and Development 6. Introduction Tourism is now the world’s largest and fastest growing sector of the global economy. In 2008 The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported that the international tourist arrivals grew by 2% to reach 924 million generated US$ 944 billion. Compared to 1950, when 25 million tourists generated US$ 8 billion, there have been significant increases in both the volume of international travel and receipts generated. International tourism receipts (at current prices and excluding international transport costs) had an average annual growth rate of 12% over the same period (WTO, 2000a). The tourism industry has been expanding and diversifying at a tremendous rate. It has been predicted that there will be approximately 937 million international tourist arrivals in 2010 (WTO, 1994). According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), international tourist arrivals are expected to reach one billion by 2010 and 1.6 billion by 2020. Figure 1 shows the development of the international tourist arrivals, 1950-2020. According to the latest tourism research released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (2008), Travel & Tourism employed over 225 million people around the world and generated 9.6% of global GDP in 2008. And the contribution of travel and tourism to worldwide gross domestic product (GDP) will rise from 10.3% (USD 4,9 billion) to 10.9% (USD 9 billion) between 2006 and 2016.

Figure1: International Tourist Arrivals, 1950-202

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The tourism sector is also considered as a major direct employer and supports a much wider indirect employment base in supplying industries. Employment is estimated by WTTC at 234 million jobs in 2006, 8.7% of total worldwide employment or 1 in every 12 jobs. Direct employment growth in 2005 was estimated at 2.1 million new jobs, 6.5 million counting indirect job creation. Tourism is a key export service for many developing countries and a crucial (often the leading) source of foreign exchange. Not only is the overall travel market increasing, but also vacation travel to national parks and other types of protected areas is also increasing. Recognition of the importance of tourism within the field of sustainable development, along with increased world-wide interest in environmental issues, has helped contribute to the need for the creation of sustainable tourism principles. Many countries aim at a sustainable tourism policy to better conserve its natural and cultural environment, and to be able to more evenly spread socio-economic benefits throughout the country. This policy will also be based on experiences gained in other countries. This report includes an overview and analysis of policies and legislation on sustainable tourism in the Japan. Sustainable tourism and related policies have been an understudied topic within a Japanese tourism context despite an increasing number of studies published during the last few years on Japan tourism. This paper explores policy for sustainable tourism development and potential interrelationships between policy considerations. Such policies have been characterized as ad hoc and incremental, lacking a clear orientation towards sustainable development, and the complex relationships underpinning them have rarely been considered in decision-making for sustainable tourism. The aim of this research is to highlight the need for more studies on sustainable tourism policies taking into account the complex relationships between the policy issues. Such an understanding should contribute to better policies proactive towards sustainable development in Japan. The report highlights the need to understand and improve sustainable tourism policy in Japan. Sustainable tourism is often considered to be a special kind of tourism that appeals to a particular market niche that is sensitive to environmental and social impacts. This is a narrow view as sustainable tourism is much more than a discreet or special form of tourism. The term sustainable tourism refers to a fundamental objective to make all tourism more sustainable. It is a continual process of improvement, one which applies equally to tourism in cities, resorts, rural and coastal areas, hills and protected areas. It should be thought of as a condition of tourism, not a form of tourism.

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7. Methodology The main method was content analysis for the Japan Tourism Agency basic papers and plans on Tourism and also individual interviews with some tourism professionals and specialists. The author attempted to better understand the inclusion of the sustainable tourism issue within the plans and strategy of the Japanese tourism. The analysis of other reports and documents on Japanese tourism also enabled the author to have better understanding of the problems and advantages of the tourism sector in Japan besides to other issues and interrelationships that help to form the policy of the tourism sector in Japan. English Publicly available government documents including archives and regulations, public reports, as well as published research articles that are relevant to tourism in Japan were utilized. The goal is to identify how certain issues important for sustainable tourism are ‘translated’ in Japanese terms and respectively how important issues for Japanese tourism should be treated to contribute to sustainable development. The purpose of gathering those written documents and reports was to discover how central government’s tourism policies are implemented as well as to find the strengths and weaknesses of these policies to reach the sustainable tourism development. It is possible also that the author was not able to find some other internal and unpublished documents.

8. Sustainable Development The most frequently used definition of sustainable development is still that given in the Bruntland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, where it means: ‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ As a concept, sustainability has evolved since the 1987 definition to embrace three dimensions or ‘pillars’ of sustainable development. Economic sustainability has a focus on generating prosperity at different levels of society and ensuring the viability of enterprises and activities is maintained in the long-term. Social sustainability has a focus on respecting human rights and providing equal opportunities in society. With an emphasis on local communities, recognising and respecting different cultures and avoiding exploitation. Environmental sustainability has a focus on conserving and managing resources, especially those that

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are not renewable, requiring action to minimise pollution of air, land and water and conserving biological diversity and natural heritage.

9. Sustainable development and tourism Tourism is in a unique position because of the contribution it can make to sustainable development and the challenges this presents. If developed without concern for sustainability, tourism can damage the natural, cultural or social environment. Conversely a sustainable approach to tourism has the capacity to benefit local communities, economically and socially, and to raise awareness and support for conservation of the environment. Sustainability has increasingly become an important aspect of tourism development in general (Aronsson 2000; Bramwell and Lane 1993; Bramwell et al. 1998; United Nations 2001. Recent papers by Saarinen (2006) and Lansing and De Vries (2007) provide good overviews of the current state of debate on sustainability and tourism. Tourism is often beneficial for the development of its destination regions, but that alone does not make it sustainable (Saarinen 2006). In the long run, Saarinen (2006) argues, development of tourism may not always be the most favourable use of natural and cultural resources, and might, therefore, create unsustainable trajectories for both host communities and the natural habitats. Sustainable tourism development should therefore aim at protecting the natural environment it operates in and improving the quality of life of host residents. The tourism and hospitality sector could become a sustainability leader since it is the destination of so many production chains, and in venues where the final consumer is usually in a happy and positive frame of mind, and the price of the service is often subservient to its appeal and positioning in quality terms. However leadership would be required in the tourism industry to move beyond direct sector issues (energy saving in the kitchen, reusing towels in the hotel), to improving the environmental performance standards of its infrastructure and, most importantly, choosing its raw inputs in light of the full supply chain that includes both the direct and indirect effects of water and energy.

10.Sustainable Tourism 5.1

History of sustainability in tourism and hospitality

In the context of tourism development, sustainable tourism refers to “all forms of tourism development, management and activity, which maintain the environmental, social and economic 8

integrity and well being of natural, built and cultural resources in perpetuity” (FNNPE, 1993, p. 5). Also it was defined as a "Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes and biological diversity." That means sustainable tourism combines conservation principles with tourism development. And from different point of view sustainable tourism development is about making tourism more compatible with the needs and resources of a destination area. It offers a broader approach to tourism practices and a built-in ability to control the rate and scale of tourism growth – if stakeholder responsibility is successfully exercised (Twining-Ward, 1999). Governmental and nongovernmental organizations, corporations and consumers are increasingly focusing on the need to exist in harmony with their surroundings and reduce their environmental footprints. The hospitality industry is no exception, and finally, the concept of sustainability has begun to gain momentum in this sector. The global environmental certification program for the travel and tourism industry was developed in 1996 by three international organizations: the World Travel & Tourism Council, the World Tourism Organization and the Earth Council. These organizations jointly launched an action plan entitled “Agenda 21 for the Travel & Tourism Industry: Towards Environmentally Sustainable Development.” Subsequently, “Green Globe,” a benchmarking, certification and performance-improvement program based on the Agenda 21 principles, was created. This program identifies the environmental and developmental issues which threaten the economy and ecological balance, and presents a strategy for transition to more sustainable development practices. Hotels receive “Green Globe” certification by addressing major environmental issues in key areas including: greenhouse emissions, energy efficiency, and management of freshwater resources, ecosystem conservation, and waste water and solid waste management. In addition to Green Globe and Agenda 21, the hospitality industry has an array of regional certification programs and initiatives developed by governments and private hotel companies. On the other hand hotel companies are increasingly encouraging environmentally friendly practices and embracing sustainability through both developmental and operational strategies. With initiatives such as education programs, reforestation programs, eco-resorts, the implementation of energy-efficient practices, and the development of buildings that comply with government-defined standards, the “greening” of the industry is a trend that is here to stay. 9

Sustainable tourism enables local economies to support themselves by focusing on the management of the economic, socio-cultural and environmental components. Tourism, like other sectors, uses resources, generates wastes and creates environmental, cultural and social costs and benefits in the process. It is becoming increasingly important to develop sustainable practices and policies due to the forecasted growth in tourism. One of the key determinants for the success of sustainable tourism has been the strong public policy development which focuses on leading improvements in physical resource planning, consideration of the natural environment, and the inclusion of the local people of the community and education of all parties. Tourism researchers identify two major trends in the interpretations of sustainable tourism; the first is the tourism centric approach, which interprets sustainable tourism as the economic viability of the industry in the long-term. The second is the view which sees tourism an integral part in an effort for overall sustainable development. Coccossis (1996) suggested that there are at least four ways to interpret sustainable tourism. First, there is the economic sustainability of tourism. Second, the ecologically sustainable tourism, which is a conservationist approach giving priority to the protection of natural resources and ecosystems. Third, there is the interpretation which sees in sustainable tourist development the need to ensure the long-term viability of the tourist activity. The fourth perspective sees tourism as part of a strategy for sustainable development, in which sustainability is defined on the basis of the entire human/environment system. A sustainable tourism policy is a policy that adopted from government bodies, at various scales, in the form of regulations, official statements or speeches, collaborations made and incentives given. Holistic approaches to sustainable tourism policies have to take into account not only individual modules of policy but also the interrelationships between them in order to better understand the way one action may affect another in order to contribute to improved policies. In today’s world, it is vital that businesses, industries and governments attempt really to adopt sustainable development practices.

5.2

Principles of Sustainable Tourism

The following 12 principles (South Australian Tourism Commission, 2007) consider economic, social and environmental issues relevant to the tourism industry. These guidelines for Sustainable Tourism aim to encourage and assist the private sector to undertake small to medium-sized sustainable tourism developments that are consistent with the Japan’s tourism Plan.

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5.2.1 Minimising environmental impacts Tourism should consider both local and global environmental impacts. At a local level tourism should seek to maintain the visual quality of landscapes and avoid having a physical impact on the immediate environment by minimizing pollution of air, water or land and generation of waste. At a global level, tourism should pay attention to issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and use of nonrenewable resources.

5.2.2 Achieving conservation outcomes Tourism should seek to support the conservation of natural areas, habitats and wildlife and minimise damage to them. A mutually beneficial alliance can be achieved between tourism and conservation. Through understanding and enjoyment come greater appreciation, empathy, advocacy and protection for the resource.

5.2.3 Being different One of the keys to successful and sustainable tourism is achieving a clear sense of difference from other competing destinations. This can be achieved by basing development and marketing on the attributes and strengths of the destination. The development should reinforce the destination brand and brand values.

5.2.4 Achieving authenticity The attractions most likely to be successful, and those with the greatest enduring appeal, are those which are genuinely relevant to the history, industry, culture, lifestyle and natural resources of the district.

5.2.5 Reflecting community values This means representing the past, present and future aspirations of the local community in a living and dynamic way rather than embalming the past or imposing development. This involves listening to and responding to the community.

5.2.6 Understanding and targeting the market Understanding the broad market trends and the needs and expectations of specific segments is critical. This involves the development of specialised products based on the inherent attributes of an area. 11

5.2.7 Enhancing the experience People’s motivation for travel is to seek something they cannot experience at home. The ‘bundling’ of attributes enhances the appeal of a place and the likelihood of visitation.

5.2.8 Adding value Adding value to existing attributes achieves a richer tourism experience and helps to diversify the local economy. This can include accommodation, sales outlets or dining, in association with established industries.

5.2.9 Having good content ‘telling the story’ Tourism development can interpret (present and explain) natural, social, historic and ecological features. Telling the story provides a more rewarding experience and ultimately helps conserve the destination.

5.2.10 Enhancing sense of place through design Good design respects the resource, achieves conservation outcomes, reflects community values, and is instrumental in telling the story. It is not just about form and function but also about invoking an emotional response from the visitor.

5.2.11 Providing mutual benefits to visitors and hosts Tourism is not encouraged for its own sake. It is an economic and community development tool and must take into account the benefits that both the host community and the visitor seek.

5.2.12 Building local capacity Good tourism businesses do not stand isolated from the communities in which they operate. They get involved with the community and collaborate with other businesses and stakeholders and help to build local capacity.

5.3

Designing for sustainable tourism As a booming industry tourism should care for the whole development of the country and pay

special attention to the local communities. Therefore tourism development should, follow the basic principles of sustainable development. It should be responsive to the constraints of the natural and cultural environment. Some tourism destinations are more unique and fragile in terms of their 12

environments or ecosystems than others. For this reason there is not an easy formula to manage the impacts of tourism. The planner or tourism designer is required to develop distinctive solutions to these problems. A success sustainable tourism development should also responds to the needs of visitors. Such ways should allow planners to provide an opportunity to bring visitors physically closer to the natural and cultural values of a site by managing the impacts of the development.

5.4

Sustainable Management in Tourism Tourism became today an important growth industry worldwide, and it will also continue in

playing an important economic role in the future. Apart from its economic and socio-cultural significance, the unfavourable environmental impacts of tourism have in recent years become the focus of many international, regional and local organizations. Because of these negative impacts of tourism economically successful development of tourism must be in the best interest of industry operators to run their businesses on a sustainable basis. Here, tour operators, travel industry associations and other stakeholders, such as transportation companies, hotels, restaurants and suppliers of holiday-related services, play a central role. With new, innovative products for package holidays and the mass market they can decisively influence the sustainable development of the travel market. Though the attention of different tourism industry operators is already focused on the topics of sustainability, environment and tourism, the principle of sustainability has up to now not been fully considered in the development of holiday offers. Travel arrangements orientated towards sustainability are already on offer, but they frequently provide only for the niche market of those clients who are actively interested in the environment.

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FIGURE 3: Principles of Sustainable Tourism Development

Principles of sustainable tourism development indicate that sustainable tourism will:

1. Uphold reasonable ethical standards of operation and minimize adverse social impacts 2. Enhance social equity 3. Operate in an environmentally and culturally sensitive manner, aimed at promoting conservation of the site and area 4. Seek to minimize the use of non-renewable resources 5. Recognize the capacities of its environment, utilize that environment sensitively, and monitor it effectively, and 6. Directly and indirectly change the attitudes of individuals and other businesses toward planning and management of its environment. Source: (Paul F.J. Eagles et al, 1992, p. 16)

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Chapter 2 Tourism in Japan 2.1

Background Through the reviewing of the available data and studies on Japan’s Tourism we can see that

tourism is expanding in Japan since the beginning of the 60s, benefiting from the rapid economic development experienced by the Asians countries. Japan has many historical, natural and man-made assets. A according to the studies made by Japan Association of Travel Agents, for Japanese travellers, family-trips remain a main purpose of visit. City and congress-centred tourism has gained considerably in importance in recent years. Based on the data and statistics from the Japanese in charge authorities, the contribution of tourism to the overall economy is equal to leading industries such as automobile, with a high impact on employment. The ratio of tourism consumption by foreign visitors compared to total tourism consumption remains very small compared to other countries. Table 3 shows the travel and tourism consumption in different countries and in local currencies including Japan.

Figure 3: Travel and Tourism Consumption in selected countries Travel & Tourism activity (Local Currency Unit billions) (2007)

France

Germany

Japan

UK

United States

Personal Travel & Tourism

110.088

127.917

28075.3

108.923

813.997

Business Travel & Tourism

28.1242

36.9702

8121.35

24.2668

179.993

Gov't Expenditures – Individual

8.76126

5.41124

2139.59

5.08578

41.0067

Visitor Exports

44.1633

34.1971

1463.81

23.534

144.81

Travel & Tourism Consumption

191.137

204.496

39800

161.809

1179.81

Gov't Expenditures – Collective

4.59571

3.6493

1658.45

3.16376

72.1201

Capital Investment

28.1768

26.5391

6911.9

21.0509

312.772

Exports (Non-Visitor)

49.0601

84.6161

6770.81

15.535

97.3783

Travel & Tourism Demand

272.969

319.3

55141.2

201.559

1662.08

Source: The World Travel & Tourism Council (2009)

In 2000, tourism industry accounted for about 2.2% of GDP. In 2001, international travel receipts totalled USD 5.6 billion. Japan is ranked number 4 in the world in terms of international travel 15

expenditure with USD 34.4 billion. In 2001, the number of inbound visitors recorded 4.77 million increase (0.3% compared to previous year) while the number of Japanese travelling abroad fell by 9% to 16.2 million, due to the adverse effects of the terrorists attacks in the United States. The imbalance between outbound and inbound tourism is an unfavourable situation for the development of tourism in Japan. Based on the white papers of the Japan Tourism Agency (2007, 2008) as well as the report of the OECD (2002), the new orientations and reforms implemented in recent years by tourism policy in Japan, could be registered as follow:

1. The setting-up in January 2001 of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MLIT) in which tourism policy operates strengthens the linkages between tourism policy and infrastructure, regional development and transport policies and foster tourism policy as a growth-oriented economic policy, with an increased emphasis on leisure and enjoyment of life. Greater awareness is given to tourism by the government as a key industry in the national economy, contributing to regional development and mutual understanding. 2. The launching of a new vision for regional development - tourism based community development as a tourism policy instrument to guide local tourism destinations to develop a sustainable tourism policy in which the community serves as the principal player in tourism promotion. This programme aims to rejuvenate the tourism products and to fight against the progressive degradation of resources.

Today the tourism industry in Japan not only contributes to the revitalization of regional economy, the increase in employment opportunities and the development of all other areas of the nation’s economy, it also has significance in promoting mutual understanding with other nations. Tourism takes on an important role, in promoting mutual understanding with other nations, and also in creating the demand, through an increase in the number of people participating in exchange, to activate the nation’s economy.

2.2

International tourism today

2.2.1 Economic effects of travel on Japan as a whole According to tourism statistics from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Tourism and Transport (MILT), the direct economic effects on the Japanese economy due to the aforementioned domestic 16

travel consumption of 23.54 trillion yen in FY2006 are estimated as a direct added value generation effect of 11.88 trillion yen and an employment generation effect of 2.15 million workers. In the meantime, the production diffusion effect of this travel consumption, including indirect effects, is estimated at 52.89 trillion yen (5.6% of the value of domestic production), the added value generation effect at 28.33 trillion yen (5.5% of gross domestic product (nominal GDP)), and the employment generation effect at 4.42 million workers (6.9% of all persons in employment).

FIGURE 4: Shows the contribution of tourism to the Japan economy 2006

In fiscal 2008, 8.35 million foreign tourists visited Japan. Three-quarters of those visitors came from Asia, and Korean tourists were the largest in number. We are concerned about the constant decline in travel between Japan and the United States, which used to be the most dynamic. Overall, however, we believe that we have conducted a very effective campaign since the start of the Visit Japan Campaign. Yet the current levels of Japan’s visibility in the world and of its international exchange are far from satisfactory. Japan’s inbound and outbound tourist ratio, namely, the number of foreign visitors to Japan per 100 populations compared with the number of Japanese travellers abroad per 100 populations, is the lowest in the G8 countries. Japan still needs to be developed in terms of international exchange. 17

The Japan Tourism Agency has set a target of attracting 20 million foreign visitors a year by 2020, based on the recognition that Japan has gained a high reputation in all of the 12 priority markets (Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States). In addition, the result of a VISA World Wide survey conducted in 11 countries was announced in April 2009 and showed that Japan was the second most popular tourist destination following Australia. Japanese cuisine (Sushi) has gained strong interest and popularity overseas as well. In the 2008 edition of the Michelin Guide, Tokyo overtook Paris and was ranked first, with the largest number of restaurants with Michelin stars. Japan has also gained a high level of satisfaction from foreign tourists, as 90 percent of those surveyed responded they would like to visit Japan again. The expected revenues and benefits out of the increasing in the number of tourists to 20 million is an economic benefit of 4.3 trillion yen in market size (10.4 trillion yen in ripple effect), creation of 390,000 jobs (850, 000 jobs in ripple effect), and an increase in percentage of tourism expenditures by overseas visitors to 16.3 percent. By country, the number of Chinese tourists is expected to rise six-fold reaching six million (GTA, 2008). Japan Tourism policy measures are trying to establish Japan’s brand image by promoting the country as a premium destination and highlighting its diversity. In other words, planners of Japan tourism would like foreign people to recognize Japan as a high-quality tourist destination and to realize that Japan’s diverse attractions set it apart from other countries. The second pillar according to mangers and planners of the Japan Tourism Agency is enhancement of Japan’s hospitality and accommodation systems. Third, tourism policy makers are trying to attract more international conferences. In the number of international conferences held, Japan was ranked fifth in 2007, while it was ranked 18th in 2006.

2.3

Promotion of a Tourism-based Country Based on the data and information from the Japan Tourism information and following to the

“Basic Act on the Promotion of a Tourism-based Country” enacted in December 2006, the Master Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism-based Country, the basic scheme to realize a country based on tourism, was approved by the Cabinet in June 2007. Formulated in the Master Plan were five fundamental goals to be achieved and concrete measures to realize them. These five Fundamental Goals include the following: 18

1. To increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan to 10 million per annum before the end of 2010 and to maintain the number of Japanese tourists going abroad at a similar level, at least, in the future.

2. To increase the number of international conferences held in Japan by more than 50% before the end of 2011, making Japan the largest site in Asia for international conferences.

3. To increase the average number of stays of the Japanese tourist during his/her domestic trips by one night before the end of 2010, making the total to four nights per tourist per annum.

4. To increase the number of Japanese tourists going abroad to 20 million per annum before the end of 2010 and enhance international exchanges with other nations.

5. To increase total domestic tourism consumption in Japan to ¥3 billion per annum before the end of 2010, through the additional tour demand newly created by environments that promote tours and diversified services provided through an improvement in productivity of the tourism industry.35

2.4

Efforts to realize a tourism-based country

2.4.1 Creation of attractive points of interest with international competitiveness For the purpose of promoting the creation of attractive points of interest with international competitiveness, assistance is being given, through the Tourism Renaissance Subsidizing Scheme and Practical Plan for Tourist Destination Development, to private organizations’ projects to improve the environment to accept foreign tourists and to develop human resources, in combination with the aid projects conducted by the respective local municipalities.

2.4.2 Improvement of international competitiveness and development of human resources With the aim of revitalizing the accommodation industry, demonstration experiments were made to introduce a system where lodging and meals are provided separately to the guests. For the purpose of developing human resources that can contribute to the promotion of tourism, the MLIT has been sponsoring tourism charisma schools and promoting cooperation among the government, industry

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and academia to train tourism-related workers. “Tourism Charisma School” is the title given to leaders who have contributed to the promotion of tourism in local regions with their creative ideas and efforts.

2.4.3 Promotion of international tourism The Visit Japan Campaign is currently under operation through the joint efforts of the government and private sectors with a goal to promote the attractiveness of Japanese tourism and appealing tour products to foreign tourists abroad. From now on, the project will be transformed into the “Visit Japan Upgrade Project” with the goal of increasing the number of foreign tourists who visit Japan on a repeated basis. Efforts will be made to increase convenience for tourists by unifying IC cards or ensuring their common use among different business operators. According to the Wikipedia (2009) the IC card is a smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC), is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits which can process data. This implies that it can receive input which is processed — by way of the ICC applications — and delivered as an output. Together with the promotion of international conferences to be held or invited to be held in Japan, efforts will be made to improve the facilities to accept foreign tourists to Japan.

2.4.4 Improvement of the environment to promote tours Efforts are being made to formulate guidelines to promote universal design in tour products and tourist destinations, develop a system to provide information on tourist destinations, to protect consumers with respect to the diversified tourism products and to ensure the safety of tourists.

2.5

The framework of tourism policy in Japan

2.5.1 Organization of national tourism administration 2.5.1.1

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport In January 2001, four governmental agencies including the Ministry of Transport and the

Ministry of Construction were integrated, and the new ministry, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) was established. The new MLIT has set up five policy goals, and carries out policy measures under the transparent division of rules between MLIT, the private sector and local governments. The 5 goals of MLIT’s Administration were defined as follow: 20

1. Supporting joyful life 2. Enhancing global competitiveness 3. National Safety 4. Preserve and create a beautiful and benign environment 5. Enhancing regional diversity Tourism promotion and development is expected to be the major field in which the synergy effect of administrative integration is fully realised, since tourism is closely related to transport policy (air, land and maritime), provision of infrastructure, regional development policy, building communities with diversity and achieving higher quality of life.

2.5.1.2

The Japan Tourism Agency (GTA)

The Japan Tourism Agency was inaugurated on October 1, 2008. The Japanese government is currently working to enhance tourism-related measures, towards the ultimate goal of creating a tourism nation. The JTA was newly established as an organization to serve as the hub for these efforts, and drive their deployment. In addition to carrying out measures to expand international tourism exchange such as the Visit Japan Campaign, the JTA works to prepare a national environment friendly to tourist travel. This includes creating appealing tourist destinations in Japan, upgrading tourism industries to fit traveler needs, promoting training and utilization of talent in the tourism field, encouraging the Japanese people to take vacations, and preparing safety measures for Japanese travelers abroad. The Japan Tourism Agency seated itself with intentions to stimulate local economies and to further international mutual understanding, following legislation of Basic Act on Promotion of Tourism Nation (in December 2006, to wholly revise Tourism Basic Act), committee resolutions in both Houses of the Diet in the legislation process, and decision at a Cabinet meeting of Basic Plan (in June 2007) which was drawn as provided by the Basic Act. One legal basis of the Agency is Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The two committee resolutions (of almost the same contents) are made by the Committee on Land and Transport of each House of the Diet, to point out eight issues on which the government should take appropriate measures when it enforces the Basic Act. In the issue No. 8 it was stated that the government should make efforts to set up tourism agency or so.

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In the Basic Plan, five fundamental targets are set, whose substances are, respectively, to increase the number of: 1. Foreign tourists visiting Japan; 2. International meetings held in Japan; 3. Nights for stay in accommodations per one Japanese during domestic sightseeing tours; 4.

Japanese tourists to overseas;

5. Expenditure in Japan on sightseeing tours.

2.5.1.3

Organization of National Tourism Administration

The Department of Tourism, which is set up under the Policy Bureau of MLIT, is responsible for tourism policy and policy coordination within the Government of Japan. Under the direction of DirectorGeneral of Tourism, three divisions are organised. The organisational chart of Tourism Department (MLIT) includes the following divisions and departments: 1. Planning Division: Total coordination of tourism policy, research and planning, promotion of inbound tourism, international affairs, etc. 2. Regional Development Division: Regional development by tourism promotion, provision of tourism tourism-related facilities, sustainable development of tourism, registered hotels and ryokan, etc. 3. Travel Promotion Division: Supervision of travel agents, development of tourism industries, promotion of tourism demand for Japanese, consumer protection, etc.

2.5.1.4

Organization of the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO)

Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), established by law in April 1964, is a non-profit statutory organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport designed to promote inbound travellers to Japan and to deepen their understanding of Japanese history, culture, tradition, customs and people. Towards this end, JNTO is engaged in a diverse range of inbound tourism promotions overseas, marketing and promotion of international conventions, expansion of international interchange through grass-roots exchange programs, and support for overseas visitors through Tourist Information Centres. Under the direction of the President and Executive Vice Presidents, the Head Office has 6 Departments that corresponds to the above activities. JNTO also has 14 Overseas Offices, and 2 Tourist 22

Information Centres (TICs) in Japan. The number of staff in JNTO (including Overseas Offices) is 109. JNTO is 100% owned by the Government. The organisational reform of JNTO was scheduled in 2003. JNTO legal entity at present transformed into the “independent administrative corporation” from the standpoint of transparency of management, efficiency of business administration and accountability of performance.

2.6

Tourism Policy in Japan An overview of Japan’s tourism administration is reported in the form of white paper which will

be reviewed here in this section of this report.

2.6.1

White Paper on Tourism in Japan, 2008

Sustainable and Attractive Tourism Based on Environmental Conservation Under chapter two from the white paper on tourism in Japan 2008 it was noted that there a good concern to the sustainability and environmental issues. It has been proposed also in this paper that “environment” and “development”, rather than being mutually exclusive, can actually be made to coexist in harmony. As such, there have been calls for the promotion of “sustainable development”, whereby development is pursued with consideration for environmental protection. In this way, the interests not only of present generations but also of future generations will be assured. The tourism policy of Japan explained in the white paper 2008 refers to that in activities related to tourism; there is a growing awareness of the important social, cultural and economic significance of tourism. With the presentation of the Tourism Nation Promotion Act in 2006, establishing Japan as a tourism nation has been clearly identified as an important national policy for the 21st century, and public and private sectors should combine in making efforts to this end. In this Tourism Nation Promotion Act, protecting environments and scenic beauty in tourist locations is also highlighted as an important policy. As a result, the government will verify that, by reinforcing efforts for environmental protection by the tourism industry and tourist locations, the attraction of tourist locations will be increased, and this in turn will contribute to the sustainable development of tourist locations and the creation of tourist locations that are “good to live in, good to visit”.

23

Part two of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD (2002) report describes what the tourism policy is and how it has been developed and administered. Tourism is under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MLIT) which is a new ministry merged from four governmental agencies. While this Ministry is not solely focused on tourism policy, it is tourism promotion and development that is expected to the major field where the synergies of the ministry’s programs will be experienced. The MILT, there are several bureaus such as the Policy Bureau where lies the Department of Tourism which creates tourism policy and policy coordination within the Government of Japan. Within this department lie three divisions (Planning, Regional Development, and Travel Promotion). With the framework of the Tourism department lies a non-profit organization, the Japan National Travel Organization which received about 70% of the department’s budget of 3.377 billion yen and is owned 100% by the government. The function of this organization is to promote Japan to inbound travelers and to deepen the understanding of these travelers of Japan’s culture, traditions, and people. Reform to JNTO was expected in 2003 to become a more transparent independent administrative corporation. In regards to access to Japan, in regards to access into Japan, while there are many ports of entry, Narita Airport remains the main gateway into Japan. Thus the MILT will maximize the use of Narita strategically to promoting foreign visitors. There are other policies created or in formulation in promoting and developing tourism in Japan developed by JNTO and the MILT. These include: 1. International Tourism Themed areas 2. Promotion of more inexpensive tourism 3. Upgrading of visitor reception capabilities 4. Visit Japan Campaign, especially for the FIFA world cup in 2002. 5. EAST Plan of 2001 (East Asian Sphere for Tourism Plan) between Korea and Japan. Plan is to consider Japan and Korea and one destination and increase visitors from other third countries from 6 million to 10 million. 6. China-Japan Mutual Visit Year 2002-an exchange program 7. Bilateral expansion of tourism between the US, Korea, China, Canada, Australia, Germany with Japan. 8. Efforts to increase consecutive holidays. (from 2000) 24

Locally, the government also conducted research in 2001 to create a framework for tourism development called “Tourism Based Community Development” as there was none prior. Without a framework there were inabilities to manage resources and tourism destinations in an integrative format. Development was not conducted in sustainable ways. Prior to this, emphasis was numbers based with increasing visitor flow and advancing the industry. Thus the government created the vision for regional sustainable development using best practices and data collection. This ensures that tourism development is both beneficial and meets the demands and needs for both the tourist as well as residents. While the government has made these policies and plans for the tourism industry, the OECD recommends Japan to further: 1. Enhance their product; 2. Undertake research and development of Japan’s tourism satellite account, development of sustainable tourism indicators, a introduction of tourism forecasts 3.

Conduct an in-depth evaluation of the implementation of the tourism based community program.

4. Expand its actions towards the development of public-private partnerships.

The MLIT’s Survey of Awareness on Tourism & the Environment The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism MLIT (2007) has implemented a survey of awareness on tourism and its relation with the environment which lasts for about three weeks and targeted the travel agencies, hoteliers, and event organisers. Here are some outlines and results out of this survey.

Sustainable and Attractive Tourism through Environmental Conservation Now that efforts for the environment have become an important issue in all sectors, efforts aimed at environmental protection are also being steadily advanced by various actors in Japan’s tourism sector, including local public bodies, residents and the tourism industry. In pursuing such efforts, the need to build cooperative relationships beyond the efforts of individual actors has come to be strongly perceived. The tourism industry is a resource-dependent industry whose existence depends to a large degree on natural tourism resources, which are difficult to reinstate once destroyed or lost. Therefore, not only do efforts for environmental protection form the core of sustainable growth for the tourism

25

industry, but also the tourism industry itself is thought able to provide a lead for others through its efforts for environmental protection in a local area. From the analysis outlined up to the previous Section, it has become clear that efforts for environmental protection are not only indispensable for the sustainable growth of tourism, but also play a large part in improving the attraction of tourist locations. This could suggest that the day will come when tourists will be attracted by efforts for environmental protection, or, conversely, when tourists will not be attracted if efforts for environmental protection are not attempted. As such, tourism, with its heavy dependence on local resources, should take today’s trend for rising environmental awareness as a perfect opportunity to increase added value, further strengthen collaboration and cooperation between stakeholders, and strive to create sustainable, attractive tourist locations that are “good to live in, good to visit”, in which the synergistic effects of three different elements (promoting tourism, environmental protection, and encouraging repeat visits by tourists) are well manifested.

2.6.2 Major Goals of the Tourism Policies 2.6.2.1

Strategic framework for promoting foreign visitors

New Tokyo International Airport (Narita Airport) opened its second phase on April 18th 2002, just in time for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Soccer games. The 2 180 metre strip increases the total number of departures and arrivals to 200 thousand a year from the current 135 000. Since Narita Airport is the Japan’s gateway to the world, MLIT intends to utilise the airport strategically for promoting foreign visitors.

2.6.2.2

Welcome Plan 21

International tourism enhances mutual understanding among people in different nations of different cultures. In order for Japan to foster the long-standing friendship and trust among nations, it is highly important to facilitate overseas visitors to Japan and gain true understanding of the Japanese. The number of Japanese overseas travellers in 2000 reached 17.8 million, while incoming foreign visitors to Japan in the same year was 4.76 million, only one fourth of outbound flows. In terms of visitor arrivals, this figure ranks Japan below neighbouring countries and other developed countries around the world. This substantial imbalance between outbound and inbound volumes is an unfavourable situation for the development of tourism in Japan. 26

Based on the above background, “Welcome Plan 21” or the “Plan to double the number of incoming visitors to Japan” was set up in 1997, together with the enactment of the “Law to Promote Inbound International Tourism”. To be concrete, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) decided to take all possible measures, together with parties concerned, to increase the number of incoming visitors to 8 million by 2007.

2.6.2.3

Visit Japan Campaign by JNTO

Japan National Tourism Organization has been actively developing strategic promotional activities overseas in cooperation with overseas Japanese embassies, local governments, tourism industries and foreign national tourist organisations (NTOs). In particular, JNTO lays an emphasis on creating an image of Japan itself as a tourist destination, such as inherent natural beauty, art, culture, tradition, festival and food, instead of an image of industrial and manufacturing country. In 2001 JNTO carried out numerous public relations activities for the purpose of inbound market development. In conducting the campaign, JNTO strategically varied the appealing points in correspondence to the respective market characteristics.

2.6.2.4

Framework to encourage travel demand in Japan

The travel demand in Japan has been declining for more than four years due to the persistent economic recession, the reason behind this according to documents and papers issued by JTA (2008) could be partly attributed to the degradation of tourist destinations and travel products in Japan. There is a clear need for tourist destinations to be managed in sustainable ways, not only preventing degradation of tourism resources but also enhancing their value, and creating a system or arrangement that satisfies the needs and demands of both residents and tourists. In this framework MLIT conducted a research for three years, including collection of data and best practices, and has drawn up the vision for regional development, which is called “Tourism Based Community Development”. As a result, MLIT published a “Guidebook to Tourism Based Community Development” in 2001. Traditional tourism development placed priority on increasing visitors and advancing the industry, with less consideration for local peculiarity or impact on the living environment for local residents. On the contrary, the Vision identified three key factors for sustainable development, 1) resources, 2) living environment, and 3) visitor satisfaction. Sustainable development of the entire community can be attained, while maintaining the balance of three key factors above, through 27

integrated community development in which community serves as the principal player in tourism promotion.

2.7

Policies for sustainable tourism As there is no specific national policy for sustainable tourism in Japan, specific instruments are

lacking. Apart from some exemptions to the rule, initiatives and concern in the white paper on tourism 2008 and the guide book on Tourism Based Community Development mainly taken by JNTO. Particularly interesting are the implementation of the mentioned above survey on tourism and the environment and the guide book on “Tourism Based Community Development” , awareness campaigns and a number of product innovations. The main reasons for this lack of governmental interference could be a lack of market demand and societal pressure for ‘sustainable tourism’, a lack of a clear perception of the problem , the way tourism is institutionalised in and scattered out over various departments, and socioeconomic reasons. Restricting unsustainable forms of tourism would have important economic consequences that have to be weighed against the environmental consequences. However, there are a number of general policies and instruments that do contribute to sustainable tourism. Similarly national policies on nature conservation, like the creation of the National ecological and nature Networks and national parks and landscapes do promote sustainable tourism development.

2.8

Protected Areas and Tourism in Japan Protected areas, such as National Parks, are the prime resource for the tourism industry and

especially for the ecotourism. A good example for an ecotourism site in Japan is the “Oze” in Nagano prefecture National Parks in Japan are designated by Minister of the Environment regardless of landownership (private or public); therefore they are managed by the Ministry of the Environment in cooperation with other ministries, local governments and the private sector. The legal basis of protected areas in Japan is the Natural Parks Law. The law aims to conserve scenic areas and their ecosystems, to promote their utilisation, and to contribute to the health, recreation and environmental education of the people. Japanese agencies define the National Parks as places of greatest and national-level natural scenic beauty and ecosystem values, worthy of their status as outstanding sites in Japan. There are 28 such parks, 2.05 million ha, 5.4% of the area of the country. 28

Quasi-National Parks are places of great natural scenic beauty at the district level and next in order to the National Parks. There are 55 such parks, 1.33 million ha occupying 3.5% of the area of the country. Prefecture Natural Parks are places of prefectural-level importance and designated by the prefecture governors. There are 301 such parks, 1.94 million hectares, occupying 5.1% of the total area of the country. 2.8.1

Projects in National Parks According to the Ministry of the Environment there are 28 National Parks in Japan, and about

370 million people visit them every year. In some areas of these national park and protected areas there are some serious problems due to over-use such as erosion, human waste in mountains, traffic jam and, etc. Therefore, the ministry of the environment started to promote various projects for sustainable tourism in National Parks, such as;

2.9

1.

Regulating the number of automobiles in 25 areas,

2.

Maintaining mountain trails and vegetation restoration along them,

3.

Subsidies for constructing toilets in mountain areas, and

4.

Creation of the system of regulated utilization areas, etc.

Rural tourism In recent years, rural tourism has been developing at a great rate in rural communities

throughout Japan. Since an act was passed in 1995 to support the use of rural areas for tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries has promoted the establishment of farm inns. The farm inn is a private farmhouse, or an inn built on a farm, which provides visitors with room and board, and gives them the opportunity to participate in the day to-day activities involved in running a farm, such as planting, harvesting, and fishing. It is strongly oriented towards urban visitors.

2.10 Ecotourism in Japan Eco-tourism is a new form of tourism in which a limited number of people, escorted by a trained guide, enjoy visiting a rich natural environment while causing the least possible environmental impact. 29

While eco-tours have been gaining popularity around the world, they are still not well known in Japan, and few Japanese people have experienced an eco-tour. The Japan Ministry of the Environment defines ecotourism as tourism to experience and understand the natural environment, history and culture that are unique to the area, and to be responsible for their conservation. Practice of ecotourism in the area contributes to: environment conservation by protecting local natural environment and cultural resources; promotion of tourism by creating more demand for tourism; and revitalization of the local community by ensuring job security, having the overall economic effect and enabling local residents to take pride in their locality. To implement ecotourism, it is necessary to have cooperation among tourists, travel agencies, local residents and a variety of local industries. The Ministry of the Environment is one of the leading and responsible governmental sections to promote ecotourism in Japan. It conducted ecotourism feasibility studies in some parks in 1990, and selected Iriomote Island in Iriomote Ishigaki National Park, Okinawa as a model ecotourism development site in 1991. The Ministry has published several policy documents for ecotourism promotion since 2004. The latest document was published in March 2008 and describes governmental official policy to promote ecotourism (The Ministry of the Environment, 2008). Prior to the policy, Ecotourism Law was developed and set aside in 2007. The law defines “the government must establish a policy on promoting ecotourism based on the principles” and the government “must listen to a wide public opinions” in the process of developing a basic policy (The Ministry of Environment, 2007). The policy was developed based on these determinants complying with the Ecotourism Promotion Law. Before the law and policy was set aside, the Ministry of the Environment had established five approaches to promote ecotourism. They involve developing a charter, establishing a website for information dissemination on ecotour, giving best practice awards, preparing a manual for developing ecotourism, and supporting model ecotourism projects. Among these five approaches, the Manual for Developing Ecotourism was publicized in collaboration with the Ecotourism Promotion Society in 2004. The manual illustrated the general process and considerations of developing an action plan for a new ecotourism project (The Ministry of Environment, 2004). In June 2004, efforts by the Japan’s Ministry of the Environment selected 13 areas of the country in which it started pilot projects to promote eco-tourism. The ecotourism policy aims to help support community, train human resources, implement strategic publicity, study scientific evaluation techniques, and strengthen cooperation with other policies. The following three major goals with embedded objectives are identified in the policy: 30

1. To help conserve natural environments and cultures, 2. To provide benefits to tourism, and 3. To contribute to community development.

2.10.1

Ecotourism Promotion Measures

To promote and establish ecotourism, the Ecotourism Promotion Committee, headed by the Minister of the Environment, was established and adopted the following five promotion measures at its 3rd Committee meeting in June 2004. 1. Ecotourism Charter: Ecotourism Charter was formulated to promote the principles of ecotourism in a comprehensible form. 2. List of Ecotour: A website is developed to introduce ecotourism in Japan, and provide nationwide information about tour program, accommodations, and transportations. Tourists are able to search the preferred ecotour through the Internet. 3. Ecotourism Award: Excellent examples of the activities to promote ecotourism conducted by agencies or local communities are awarded and introduced broadly. 4. Manual for promoting ecotourism: A manual was developed to introduce procedures and main points of ecotourism promotion. The manual is available on the website of the Ministry of the Environment. In addition, a book “Let’s start Ecotourism!” was published. 5. Model Projects: The Ministry of the Environment supports 13 model sites that futuristically work on ecotourism. Additionally, a liaison council consisting of relevant ministries and agencies (Cabinet Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Ministry of Forestry, Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of the Environment) was formed to support activities in the model areas.

Implementation of these measures provide various effects: sustainable use of nature, history and culture as local resources, raising of environmental awareness among local residents and tourists, temporal and territorial dispersion of tourists, and year-round visits, and creation of new employment opportunities, and so on. This means that promoting ecotourism contributes to not only nature conservation but also to regional development and promotion of tourism. 31

2.10.2

The guidelines for sustainable tourism

The Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has contributed to the International Union for Conservation Nature, East Asia Project 1996. The project included translation of “Guideline for Tourism in Parks and Protected Areas of East Asia” into Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and their distribution to related institutions and scientists in these countries. The guideline is made for helping park managers think about the influx of tourism to natural protected areas, and urging park managers to consciously plan for management of their interactions with tourists, and the natural and cultural environment. The guideline is well organized so that it can contribute substantially to the management of protected areas in East Asia. It could be useful to make similar guidelines for other areas and distribute them to the countries which face problems in park and/or protected area management.

2.10.3

The Japan Ecotourism Society

In March 1998, the Japan Ecotourism Society (JES) was established. The society consists of central and local government experts, travel agents, researchers in the field of tourism, environment, local planning and local ecotourism promotional groups. JES aims to provide a forum for people involved in ecotourism to discuss the implementation of ecotourism. Recently some local ecotourism associations have been established. They have started to research local ecotourism resources, and got involved in the management of these resources, in human resource training and the creation of guidelines for sustainable tourism. An example in Okinawa prefecture, in the southern part of Japan, is the Oriomote Island Ecotourism Association which was established in 1990 by the indigenous people.

2.11 Green tourism Green Tourism is a form of sustainable tourism (providing natural and cultural resources, traditions, products all in line with the local identity), but with a sounder aim to respect and preserve the natural resources and adapted to fit the context of northern, fragile landscapes. The main aim is to find a way of using and appreciating these areas of natural beauty without damaging them. According to Yamamoto et al (1998) green tourism started in Japan in the 1970’s which includes activities such as participatory experiences in farming. The attractive nature of the climate, tradition, life, and culture of Japan can be, relatively speaking, better appreciated in its "countryside," i.e. the rural areas comprising agricultural, mountain and fishing villages. They occupy around 90% of the total land 32

area and such rural areas help to convey the beauty of Japanese nature and culture, which are not easily found in contemporary urban districts. For this reason, the Japanese countryside can be said to represent the very origin of Japan itself. It involves a leisurely journey and stay within a rural community to experience types of agricultural, forestry or fishery work, integrate into the nature and culture of the community and enjoy interaction with local people. According to Takayuki I. & Xiaojing S. (2007), the definition of Green Tourism in Japan is as defined by The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Moreover, in Okinawa there is also a definition: "Green Tourism is the on-site experience taken in farming, forestry and fishing villages. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries released the interim report giving a recommendation for the participation in green tourism activities in Japan. According to Hiroyo Hasegawa (2005) the phrase green tourism started coming into use in Japan around 1992, when the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries established a study group on green tourism. Green tourism is now considered a key to establishing communication and cooperation between urban and rural areas. It also plays a considerable part in enhancing Japan's appeal to tourists from overseas who would like to get beyond its mega-cities like Tokyo and Osaka and experience its traditional culture and natural beauty. To promote green tourism in an integrated manner, the Organization for Urban-Rural Interchange Revitalization was established in 2001 to provide information and help develop human resources. It launched a portal site to supply information on green tourism and also publishes brochures and guidebooks. It supports regional revitalization and promotes exchanges, while exploring the needs of people in both urban and rural areas in an attempt to build a new mechanism in which both sides can feel fulfilled. Promoting interchange and cooperation between urban cities and rural (agricultural, mountain and fishing) villages through green tourism is significant in two ways. First, it can deepen people's understanding of rural communities and create a framework to conserve the rural environment. Green tourism can provide urban dwellers, who tend to live in total isolation from nature, with opportunities to have first-hand experiences at the actual sites of food production. They can see how vegetables and fruits grow with their own eyes, and experience planting and weeding rice paddies, as well as rice harvesting. The promotion of green tourism means a lot to local people as well. A lot of villagers try to learn traditional techniques presently practiced only by elderly people so that they can show or teach these 33

techniques to visitors from cities. Initially, many villages built facilities for hands-on experiences, exchange centers and local special produce markets to attract more visitors from cities. Eventually, however, these efforts led many villagers to review and revitalize their own communities. They have also been encouraged to rediscover, revaluate and protect the history and culture of their own villages. During the post World War II period of rapid economic growth in Japan, the population became concentrated in urban areas, and rural regions lost jobs and workers. Green tourism could help to bring people and money back to rural regions from cities, thereby contributing to the protection and revitalization of rural regions. Another important contribution of green tourism is to the economy. According the 2003 White Paper on Leisure, the average number of unused paid holidays per year for all workers in Japan was nine days per person. If they had taken these nine days off, total leisure expenditures would have increased by 11.8 trillion yen (about U.S. $110 billion), creating 1,480,000 new jobs. A survey indicates that in 2002 the average number of nights spent at paid accommodation during holidays was 3.5 by the Japanese, a very small number compared with 20.1 for Germans or 15.8 for the French. The number of new jobs mentioned above amounts to 44 percent of the total number of the unemployed (3,400,000) in 2002. If more people spent their holidays in agricultural, mountain, and fishing villages, the currently stagnant economy could be energized. In this way, green tourism could revitalize the entire Japanese economy. Green tourism in Japan is expected to grow slowly but steadily, since it does provide both urban and rural residents with intensely enjoyable experiences.

Findings The researcher overview of Japan policies relevant for sustainable tourism shows that: 

Japan lacks a specific sustainable tourism policy. A Sustainable Tourism Policy should be formulated and approved by the parliament or the authorised agencies in Japan. This policy should be prepared with the consultation of the private sector, local communities and all the stakeholders;



Specific attention for tourism at the national level is limited and fragmented and scattered over various Ministries (Agriculture, Environment, Transport etc.). The attention for tourism and recreation at provincial and local level varies considerably.

34



While eco-tours have been gaining popularity around the world, they are still not well known in Japan, and few Japanese people have experienced an eco-tour.



There is mix-up in using the terms of rural tourism, ecotourism, green tourism and nature-based tourism. The common term of green tourism is used to explain and refers to the rural tourism. In other words there is no clear distinction among those terms in Japan.

2.12 Policy for tourism sector in Japan The following policy was adapted from the European Agenda 21 for Tourism. In developing a policy for the Japan tourism sector, a holistic strategy is required that addresses both of these perspectives by:  Following scientific principles of sustainable development that provide systemic analysis of problems and their solutions  Understanding sector development within the overall temporal process of global change  Recognizing the global to local spectrum of the sector territorial impact In order to go further on with the proposed policy for the sustainable tourism development in Japan, the researcher recommends that the following considerations should be reflected in any future policies within the tourism agencies in Japan:

1. The economic structure of the tourism industry is heavily tied into the environmental and social resources of the global regions, given that tourism is a global business activity. The continual degradation of its natural base is the greatest long-term threat to the tourism sector, both in terms of incurring greater production costs and diminishing service and product quality. 2. A healthy and sustainable tourism enterprise structure requires a diversity of competitive businesses operating at the destination level. The rules of sustainable development should focus and guide responsible stakeholder activity with a strong environmental emphasis, providing direction for the socio-economic re-calibration of sector production and supply systems.

2.13 Objectives of sustainable tourism in Japan Two main goals are at the core of sustainable development of tourism in Japan: first, a growth of Japan tourism, from which environmental degradation and resource consumption are significantly delinked, avoiding and minimising negative impacts, and second, economically and socially balanced 35

benefits from Japan tourism. Achieving these two goals requires a basic rethinking of the way that Japanese practice tourism. Practical implementation largely needs to be focused on the different elements of the tourism supply chain and on destinations as level of action. It involves responsible tourism entrepreneurship for sustainability, and integrated sustainability initiatives for tourist destinations, e.g. in the form of local Agenda 21.

2.13.1

Objectives for sustainable Japanese tourism in detail:

Reviewing the demand: how consumers practice tourism  A healthy ratio between the tourism volume and the input needed to transport tourists, in particular with regard to highly polluting and energy consuming modes of transport  A competitive and responsible Japanese tourism industry  Tourists well-being in the centre of concern of Japanese tourism  Employment and job creation: sustainable work force and quality employment conditions  A tourist product that is produced and enjoyed with a low use and consumption of resources and production of waste and waste water  Creating benefits for the community of tourist destinations

Sustainable Japanese tourist destination  An intensity and growth of tourism in Japan that does not exceed the carrying capacity  Economically healthy Japanese tourist destinations: balanced tourism competitiveness and a diverse tourism offers  Japan tourist destination that deliver quality and customer satisfaction  Regional economic and social cohesion, and rural and cultural development in Japan through tourism development

Progress towards these objectives requires sustainable entrepreneurship and responsible enterprises, which includes a participatory approach and the involvement of staff and customers. To be successful in this approach, and not to punish enterprises that follow it, economic profit needs to be delinked from environmental and social costs, and a level playing field of sustainable development must 36

exist. A major concern is the management of environmental impact and resource consumption in the tourism supply chain. Important efforts to be undertaken within this chain can also be seen in the fields of tourism training and education and the promotion of environmentally friendly production and consumption patterns. Special attention could be paid to the exchange of knowledge, partnership, innovation and the implementation of new technologies. This following summary shows that developing a policy for sustainable tourism development in Japan is a process, a multi stakeholder dialogue, in which all stakeholders should be included in order to achieve a successful implementation of the proposed sustainable tourism development. The proposed sustainable tourism development policy focuses on the following subjects:  Using tourism to raise the employment rate;  Tourism for all: a strategy for the disabled  Improving training in order to up-grade the skills in the tourism sector  Promoting entrepreneurship, competitiveness and innovation in tourism  Promoting tourism support networks  Promoting code of ethics in tourism  Promoting responsible tourism as a factor for socio-cultural development  Limiting climate change and increase the use of clean energy  Promoting energy efficiency and saving in the tourism sector  Promoting a culture of quality in tourism services  Promoting a high harmonized level of consumer protection  Conciliating tourism with nature protection and bio-diversity  Sustainable use of natural resources  Decoupling growth and waste  Protecting landscape as a tourism asset through agricultural and regional policies  Improve the transport system and land-use management  Control the growth of transport linked to tourism and its adverse effects on the environment  Shifting the balance between modes of transport for tourism  Placing users at the heart of the transport policy in relation to tourism  Develop a more environmentally conscious attitude towards land use.

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2.14 Agenda for a policy on sustainable tourism development The above mentioned proposed policy of the tourism sector in Japan could start with agenda which will play an important role for the planners and top management. This agenda will be a holistic view for the in charge agencies. 

A clear vision and clear goals on the role of tourism in strengthening sustainable development;



A comprehensive view on the relation between existing domains of policy making (environment, transport, economic affairs, international cooperation, biodiversity, rural development etcetera) and sustainable tourism development;



A programme for the creation and facilitation of (learning) platforms in which governmental agencies, NGO’s and private sector organisations meet and work together implementing sustainable tourism related policy goals (like the creation of environmental monitoring systems, training of tourism staff etc.);



Sustainability should be encouraged and rewarded by means of a programme of financial incentives or disincentives;

2.15 Formulation of the policy In order to formulate a policy for the sustainable tourism development in Japan the following recommendations are highly advised to be taken

2.15.1

Government’s role

 create a clear governance framework by specifying the strategic roles of main stakeholders at different levels for specific tourism related issues  specify separately the options for prefectures policies  distribute comprehensive information about sustainable tourism development and management to all relevant stakeholders  increase transparency by including indicators/statistics on sustainable development  support NGO‘S role in information dissemination and awareness raising  There is a need to enhance research and awareness of tourists‘consumption patterns in order to identify how to shape the sustainable tourism product.

38

 The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism and its agencies should realize a Japanese eco label for tourism including sustainability criteria.

2.15.2

Businesses

 should make use of adoption programs of natural and cultural heritage  should enhance their share in the maintenance of cultural and natural heritage  should implement environmental care systems (management and certifications)  Should inform their clients about the value of cultural and natural sites.  Should develop policies aimed at improving economic performance and social conditions.  Tour operators should purchase certified products and choose preferably destinations with good land planning and zoning.

2.15.3

The role of NGOs is to:

 provide an interface between citizens and institutions on all levels on sustainable tourism  participate in decision processes in all levels  detect and propose innovative approaches and implement sustainable tourism pilot projects  find a common NGO position on specific issues (specific events)  lobby for an efficient framework for sustainable development  raise awareness and to support other actors – especially businesses - in this task  care for better integration of environmental, consumer, social and economic concerns in their own work  inform consumers and businesses about environmental friendly products  monitor businesses and „name and shame“ concerning sustainable tourism

2.15.4

Destinations

 Setting limits to a destination‘s carrying capacity to grow  Public stakeholders should fully consider environmental and sustainability criteria in public tenders  Public stakeholders should provide improved participation mechanisms, especially in local and regional planning and decision-making processes 39

 There is a need to pay more attention to nature parks as an example for the development of sustainable destinations

2.16 Discussion and recommendations This discussion of the research has mainly focused on the formulation of a proper policy for the tourism sector in Japan in the area of sustainable development. The aim of this paper was to highlight the need for more studies and researches in Japan on sustainable tourism policies taking into account the complex relationships between the policy issues. Such an understanding should contribute to better policies proactive towards sustainable development. The discussion has revealed the need for more research on a sustainable tourism policy in Japan and on the complex relationships between the policy issues identified above. Future research should contribute to the clarification of the concept for policy making and the understanding of complex interrelationships. Future research should also determine and measure where possible these interrelationships and provide an operational framework for more sustainable tourism in Japan. Implementing sustainable tourism is more difficult in mature over-developed tourism areas. It is much easier for newly developed destinations to introduce sustainable development principles at the early stage of development than it is for old resorts to retroactively apply them. Nevertheless, the early polarisation of mass and alternative/responsible forms of tourism has now lessened and sustainable tourism is increasingly considered an umbrella term for most forms of tourism. Figure 5 shows the relationship between sustainable tourism, nature-based tourism and ecotourism and the idea behind that sustainable tourism became as an umbrella term.

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Figure 5: The relation between sustainable tourism, nature-based tourism and ecotourism

Source: South Australian Tourism Commission (2007)

Policy and especially its implementation, is a relatively understudied field compared to other aspects of tourism such as the marketing and the competitiveness of destinations. However the study of the development and application of policies for tourism and their implications can make important contributions to tourism research. This research into the Japanese government policies and the politics of tourism has increased the understanding of the decision-making process, which could, in turn facilitate and improve policies for tourism development and more specifically sustainable tourism, making it an operational concept.

2.17 Final Conclusion In order to succeed, tourism must be planned and managed to improve the quality of life of residents and to protect the local, natural and cultural environment. In areas where some level of tourism development is appropriate, guidelines for sustainable tourism are needed. Guidelines help to

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combat the potential negative impacts associated with a rapid pace of development and help to secure the protected areas from the variety of pressures that can damage them. The suggested Japan policy for sustainable tourism development needs to adapt at institutional level the integration of environmental, economic, socio-cultural and ethical concerns in the functioning of tourist destinations and businesses. It should also comprise the commitment of tourism stakeholders to a sustainable driven model. A Japan policy for sustainable tourism development will be the result of adapting international criteria (e.g.: the 1992 Rio Summit, the ongoing process for its review and evaluation, the achievements of the Commission of Sustainable Development (CSD), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the outcome of the international year on Eco-tourism) to the tourism sector, and the consideration of efforts undertaken at international and local level by relevant organisations, such as the UNWTO.

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