The Potential of Micro-tourism and the Power of Local Regions

Are you all taking advantage of the Go To Campaign?

The tourism industry, which was heavily damaged by the impact of COVID-19, is seeing tourists return to local regions, perhaps thanks to this campaign. However, a vaccine has not yet been completed, and the number of infected people continues to increase worldwide. Among tourism operators concerned about the infection and spread of the virus, there may be some who cannot bring themselves to loudly proclaim, "Please come to our town."

The reason COVID-19 spread on a global scale is precisely because humans have become able to move on a global scale. While the tourism industry and "movement" are inseparable, I would like to consider what "tourism" actually is in the first place.

According to one theory, tourism (kanko) means "seeing the light (ko) of the region (kan)." "Light" refers to wisdom. According to this theory, distance is irrelevant.

Tourism that does not involve going far is called "micro-tourism," a concept advocated by Yoshiharu Hoshino of Hoshino Resorts.

You might wonder what is interesting about traveling through a familiar hometown, but just as Tokyoites rarely go to Tokyo Tower, people often fail to look at what is right beneath their feet.

In Ureshino City, Saga Prefecture, there is a project where young business owners gathered to turn local industries into tourism content. It is called "Ureshino Chadoki." Although it was intended for locals, it received high praise from citizens and eventually began to attract tourists from across the country and overseas. Furthermore, it is now handled not only as a request for store openings from famous hotels and commercial facilities in Ginza and Roppongi but also as content for travel agencies. Today, they even receive production requests from other regions.

They collaborated on the city's major industries: a type of porcelain called "Hizen Yoshida-yaki," a tea called "Ureshino-cha," and "Ureshino Onsen," which is said to be one of Japan's three best hot springs for beautiful skin. The core of this, "Ureshino Saryo," is a Japanese tea cafe that looks stylish, but its organizational structure has unique characteristics.

The tea and sweets are provided by the potters and tea farmers. Ryokan (inn) owners with a keen eye and sense of style handle the spatial design and customer service training for the potters and craftsmen who have no service experience. The website and posters are created by designers from the local area. It is said that everyone worked almost entirely on a volunteer basis.

The menu consists of "Ureshino-cha" and Japanese sweets, which are everyday items for locals. However, the price is 800 yen, nearly three times the usual cost. Despite the high price, citizens flocked to this event. In a space stylishly renovated with Scandinavian furniture in the post-bath relaxation area of a ryokan, tea farmers and potters wearing pure white long aprons kneel before guests and pour tea into delicate wine glasses. Their appearance was exactly like that of high-end hotel staff.

The explanations of the products' craftsmanship and characteristics, which were refined through repeated training and creative communication, also resulted in increasing their value. For the citizens, while the tea and vessels were a common presence, it was hardly known who made them, how, or with what thoughts. Engaging in unknown conversations with craftsmen while receiving high-quality service in a space different from home—this was the moment when familiar things became special.

The high praise from citizens quickly reached Tokyo, and it developed to the point of attracting attention not only from the metropolitan area but also from around the world.

I believe there are two points of success. One is the collaboration between different industries. Even within the same city, if the industry is different, one is an outsider. They were able to objectively see what was attractive and what was lacking in each other's work, and that is precisely why they could support one another. While some say that the charm of a region can only be understood by outsiders, that is not necessarily the case.

The other point is the creation of an "extraordinary" experience. It is not that urban things are inherently better, but for citizens living in a tea-producing region, drinking tea from wine glasses in a stylish space with sophisticated service is full of a sense of specialness. An "extraordinary experience" is very important for travel.

The catalyst for this project was a sense of problem-awareness among business owners: "Despite being a tea-producing region, there is no place in town to drink tea. Ryokan staff cannot even brew tea properly. Is this acceptable?" I suspect the citizens felt the same way.

Through this initiative, citizens learned about local specialties and spoke about them to others. In addition to local media and stakeholders, even the citizens became public relations agents for Ureshino City.

I believe that micro-tourism ultimately enhances regional culture and, by extension, Japan's tourism potential. If attractive content increases throughout Japan, domestic travel demand will also grow. If that happens, inbound demand will naturally follow.

I believe that the development of a sustainable tourism economy, which Japan aims for, starts first with the local community.