TEACHER'S COLUMN

Hot springs are a tourism resource that remain a popular attraction to international visitors. A survey of preferences of international travelers found Japan to be a popular international destination once COVID-19 was under control and a top pick for travelers from Asia. Japanese inns (‘ryokan’) were the most popular type of accommodation among visitors to Japan. One reason for this is the growing demand for experience-based tourism. Visitors enjoy bathing in the springs, dressing in yukatas (light cotton kimonos), eating Japanese foods, and walking along the traditional streets of hot spring resorts. A growing number of tourists are attracted to such experience-based consumption. Beppu and other hot spring areas are the best places to enjoy such experience-based content in a total package.

A marketing perspective is necessary to promote hot spring resorts as tourist destinations, but it is important to analyze not only the number of visitors and sales figures, but also the level of satisfaction and the way visitors feel from a psychological approach. As part of the last year’s seminar, I surveyed international tourists who visited the Jigoku-Mushi Kobo (steamed food restaurant) in Kannawa Onsen. The restaurant is so popular that people line up for the steamed dishes, but some said that the long waiting time was a bore and that they were confused by the short time given to experience the steamed dishes and the complexity of the ordering system. Knowing the actual reactions of these tourists will lead to a more effective reception system and provision of information.

Tourism studies is not related only to specific industries. Any industry, including manufacturing, agriculture, and fishing, can excel as a tourism resource when presented in a creative way. I believe that the important thing is to focus on the people who live in the local area and to communicate the regional characteristics that have been nurtured there, along with the stories they tell.