The Japan Tourism Agency held an International Symposium on Green Tourism!

Last Update : 2023/4/11

The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) held an international symposium for tourism-related businesses and local governments on Friday, February 10, 2023, to deepen their understanding of &quot;green tourism&quot; and promote voluntary initiatives in the future.<br>The event featured lectures by experts from Japan and abroad, introductions of a wide variety of initiatives, and a panel discussion in which opinions were exchanged from a variety of perspectives. The participants commented, &quot;It was very easy to understand&quot; and &quot;It was interesting to learn about practical examples of green tourism that I had never heard of before&quot; and the event contributed to a deeper understanding of &quot;green tourism&quot; for future practice.<br>The archive video of the symposium is now available, so we hope you will take this opportunity to watch it!<br>

Overview of Green Tourism

In this symposium, "green tourism" was considered as environmentally friendly tourism, which is one type of sustainable tourism.
Among the six action principles proposed in the "Recommendations for the Transition to a Green Travel and Tourism Economy (2021)" presented by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the survey targeted mainly initiatives related to climate action, biodiversity conservation, and circular economy.
This includes CO2 emissions reduction at tourist destinations, accommodation facilities, tour programs, and other locations, reducing food waste and plastics, and protecting biodiversity and natural resources.

Program of the International Symposium on Green Tourism 2023

Based on a survey of domestic and international systems and case studies related to "green tourism," the symposium introduced domestic and international initiatives that summarized the significance of specific initiatives, and advantages of such initiatives, and also conducted a panel discussion by an expert and representatives from Japanese and overseas regions who are already engaged in "green tourism." Many participants watched the program online as well as on-site at the venue on the day of the symposium. After the program, we also provided an opportunity for the speakers and in-person participants to interact with each other.
Part I
Keynote Speech 1: Dr. Dirk Glaesser, Director, Sustainable Development of Tourism Programme, UNWTO
Keynote Speech 2: Prof. Ayako Toko, Division of Global Social Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo Woman's Christian University

Part II
Summary of Survey Results
Presentation of domestic and overseas case reports
  1, Ms. Caroline Anderson, Planning Director, Hawaii Tourism Authority
  2, Ms. Asuka Hamakawa, Representative Director, Earth Company / Owner, Mana Earth Paradise Hotel (Bali, Indonesia)
  3, Ms. Reiko Hamanaka, CEO, Tokuto LLC. (Teshima, Kagawa Prefecture)
  4, Mr. Naoto Endo, Representative Director, Tofuya Ryokan (Yamagata Prefecture)
  5, Mr. Yoshinobu Funabashi, CEO, Hachimantai Geo Farm / CEO, Hachimantai Geothermal Utilization Project Joint Enterprise Cooperative (Iwate Prefecture)
  6, Mr. Akinobu Ishimatsu, Section Manager, Town Planning Section, Economy Department, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture

Part III
Panel Discussion
 Theme:
  Making “Green Tourism” our own
  - Bringing environmental, social, and economic cycles together to "revitalize local communities and people"-
 Moderator:
  Prof. Ayako Toko, Division of Global Social Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo Woman's Christian University
 Panelists:
  Mr. Naoto Endo, Representative Director, Tofuya Ryokan (Yamagata Prefecture)
  Mr. Akinobu Ishimatsu, Section Manager, Town Planning Section, Economy Department, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture
  Ms. Mitsue Varley, Country Director, Hawai'i Tourism Japan
  Mr. Yoshinobu Funabashi, CEO, Hachimantai Geo Farm, (Iwate Prefecture)
  Ms. Asuka Hamakawa, Representative Director, Earth Company / Owner, Mana Earth Paradise Hotel (Bali, Indonesia)
 

Symposium Archive Video

The archive video of the symposium is now available. We hope you will enjoy it!
 
Video 1: Opening - Keynote Speech
Video 2: Business Overview - Introduction of initiatives (1)(2)
Video 3: Introduction of initiatives (3)-(6)
Video 4: Panel Discussion - Closing

Topics

Inquiries Regarding This Page

International Relations and Tourism Human Resources Policy, Japan Tourism Agency
E-mail:hqt-jta-international-affairs★gxb.mlit.go.jp
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