Professional Documents
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Sustainable Tourism Development and Japan Policies: Mejiro University
Sustainable Tourism Development and Japan Policies: Mejiro University
Sustainable Tourism Development and Japan Policies: Mejiro University
Researcher
Khaled Alduais
Yemen
Supervisor
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
1. Introduction........................................................................................................................3
2. Methodology......................................................................................................................5
3. Sustainable Development...................................................................................................5
5. Sustainable Tourism..........................................................................................................6
2.1 Background.......................................................................................................................13
2.2 International tourism today..........................................................................................................14
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2.14 Agenda for a policy on sustainable tourism development............................................................36
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.
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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.
10.Sustainable Tourism
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
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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.
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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.
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 non-
renewable resources.
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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.
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
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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.
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
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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.
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
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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.
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
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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).
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.
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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.
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:
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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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.
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:
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 Director-
General 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.
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
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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.
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.
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”.
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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:
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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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 socio-
economic 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.
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 land-
ownership (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.
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;
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 de-
linked, 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.
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
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
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:
37
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;
In order to formulate a policy for the sustainable tourism development in Japan the following
recommendations are highly advised to be taken
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
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
39
There is a need to pay more attention to nature parks as an example for the development of
sustainable destinations
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.
40
Figure 5: The relation between sustainable tourism, nature-based tourism and ecotourism
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.
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
41
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.
42
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