JICA “Personnel Training for Regional Sustainable Tourism” (August – September 2023)

PREX received a commission from JICA Kansai to conduct this training course for government officials working in tourism in developing countries. 12 participants from 12 countries came to Japan to participate in the course. After understanding Japan’s national and regional authorities involved in tourism and their policies, legislation as well as support systems, understanding subjects such as DMO (Destination Management/Marketing Organization), regional organizations’ roles, and after comparing them with the conditions in their own countries, the participants formulated action plans for sustainable regional tourism and for training personnel for this.

[Course leader and action plan formulation supervisor Prof. Yamamoto]

This fiscal year’s course was a 5-week hybrid course with the first half being online training, and for the second half trainees came to Japan.
The training in Japan focused mainly on Kansai tourism. Measures taken by Kyoto’s only village Minami-Yamashiro-mura’s Michinoeki (roadside station), and learning how Higashi Osaka’s measures for using ‘mono-zukuri’ (craftsmanship) businesses for tourism were new to the participants who showed great interest in them.

One week was spent in the Tajima region focusing on Kinosaki Hot Springs which has been successful in attracting tourists. Participants learned through visits and lectures about the use of DX at the Kinosaki Hot Springs, Toyooka Theater Festival’s measures, measures for the use of Kannabe nature for tourism as well as various measures taken by Toyooka City.

[NPO Kannabe Nature School visit]

[Izushi Eirakukan visit]

[Review time (group work)]

As with last year’s course, the course leader this year was Prof. Takashi YAMAMOTO, Political Science and Economy Department, Economics Faculty, Takushoku University who supervised the course. Action plans were formulated taking into consideration each country’s unique features, its strong points and weak points.
We hope that when the participants return to their respective countries, they will promote their action plans and produce concrete results.

JICA Fiscal Year 2023 Training Course Theme Based Training Course
“Personnel Training for Regional Sustainable Tourism”

• • Date: 16 August 2023 – 19 September 2023 *Training period
  • Participating members: 12 government and public organization officials involved in tourism
  • Participating countries: Laos, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Tunisia, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Serbia, Republic of North Macedonia, Azerbaijan
  • Course leader: Prof. Takashi YAMAMOTO, Political Science and Economy Department, Economics Faculty, Takushoku University
  • Commissioning organization: JICA Kansai
  • Lecturers and locations visited: (titles omitted, no particular order)
    [Locations visited]

• • Tourism Agency (lecture)

• • UNWTO (lecture)

• • Hannan University (lecture)

• • Takushoku University (lecture)

• • Michinoeki Minami-Yamashiro-mura (lecture / visit)

• • Rekishi Kaido Promotional Council (lecture / visit)

• • Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau (lecture)

• • Osaka Craftsmanship Tourism Association (lecture)

• • Noda Kinzoku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (lecture / visit)

• • Toyooka Tourism Innovation (lecture)

• • Kinosaki Hot Springs, Inn ‘Seri’ (lecture)

• • Kannabe Nature School (lecture / visit)

• • Zentan Bus (lecture)

• • Hyogo Prefectural Professional College of Arts and Tourism (lecture / visit)

• • Toyooka City Office (lecture)

• • Tajimakuni Izushi Tourist Association (lecture / visit)

• • Izushi Eirakukan (visit)

• • Kyukamura Takeno Beach (lecture / visit)

• • Jalan Research Center (lecture)

(Persons in charge: SAGA / TANAKA Posted 17 October 2023)

*For inquiries regarding this training course, please contact below.
prexhrd-pr@prex-hrd.or.jp