Tsuruga City in Fukui Prefecture has long been a city of railroads and ports. With the resumption of inbound tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic and in anticipation of the opening of Tsuruga Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in the spring of 2024 in mind, we have developed three sustainable tourism experiences unique to this region with the sea, which is the symbol of Tsuruga City, as the key element, subsidized by the Japan Tourism Agency’s Flagship Product Creation Project. Against this backdrop, MapTravel Co. Ltd, a travel agency in the private sector, have worked together with Tsuruga Tourism Association, Fish Farming Association, Kelp Association, and local volunteer groups to create sustainable tourism experiences that make economic sense for all stakeholders through collaboration within the region. In doing so, we are conscious of the need for programs that do not place a burden on the environment and which respect the local culture. Sustainable Tsuruga｜Sustainable Tourism Experiences (1) Contemporary Craftmanship Only Possible with Human Hands: Kelp Sheet Grating Experience (2) Pinnacle of Quality Cultured Sea Bream: Red Sea Bream Pole-and-Line Fishing & Filleting Experiences (3) Sea of Tsuruga: Beach Cleaning & Upcycling Experience We will conduct responsible and long-lasting sales activities in anticipation of the opening of Tsuruga Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2024, and will provide support to the commercial and fishery operators and organizations that will be the key players in the region’s tourism to become self-reliant and self-supporting.

Miyazu City is located in the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture, occupying the southeastern part of the Tango Peninsula, which juts out into the Sea of Japan, and is situated at the western end of Wakasa Bay. Amanohashidate is one of the three most scenic spots in Japan. With its natural scenery of white sand and green pine trees, the sea, and surrounding mountains, Amanohashidate has been admired by many writers and artists, including Sesshu, a famous Zen monk and painter, and has moved many people through the ages. Blessed with abundant nature and outstanding history and culture symbolized by Amanohashidate, the city is one of the leading tourist destinations in Japan, attracting approximately 3 million tourists a year from all over the country. In order to pass on the city’s abundant nature and outstanding history and culture in good shape to future generations, we are working to turn the area into a sustainable tourism region. Among the Miyazu City’s efforts, we would like to introduce the Miyazu City Ordinance on the Promotion of Recycling of Plastics and Other Resources, which came into effect on January 1, 2023. The enforcement of the ordinance is just the start; from now, we will need to follow this up with specific projects. However, we believe that we have been able to provide a guideline that will enable various stakeholders, including the tourism industry, to move forward in one direction.

The WEST NARA Wide Area Tourism Promotion Council is an organization comprised of eleven organizations: Ikaruga Town, the hub of the organization that is home to the World Cultural Heritage site of Horyu-ji Temple, Yamatokoriyama City, Heguri Town, Sango Town, Ando Town, Oji Town, Ikaruga Town Tourism Association, Yamatokoriyama City Tourism Association, Oji Town Tourism Association, Shigisan Tourist Association, and Ikaruga Sangyo Co., Ltd., a regional tourism development corporation (regional DMO). Up to the end of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan projects that local governments and tourism-related organizations have already implemented or are planning to implement will be classified as “collaborative projects,” “joint projects,” or “independent projects.” In line with this, the council is proactively implementing collaborative projects, while providing support to local governments and other organizations for joint or independent projects. Centering around private DMOs, along with the implementation of management and marketing, the council will make use of governmental and prefectural subsidy businesses, for developing products and for sales as well as involve medium and small enterprises in advancing community revitalization via tourism and management of tourism attractions. Furthermore, the council will aim to achieve the goal of bringing the number of tourists in the area to the 2015 number of 3.7 million to 5 million by 2025.

Aso attracts many tourists with its vast grassland landscape, but most of the grasslands are classed as “common land,” even within the national park, and are not accessible to the public. To utilize these grasslands as a tourism resource while minimizing the impact on the ecosystem, we organize activities conducted with special permission under the condition that local guides lead the tours. By collecting appropriate compensation from travelers for guided tours, this project has created new jobs and established a mechanism to return a portion of the participation fees to the local ranching cooperative. The money is used by this ranching cooperative to maintain and restore the grasslands, thus achieving an excellent balance between the promotion of tourism and the preservation of the landscape.

Hakone is a hot spring resort town rich in nature that is only an hour and a half away from Tokyo. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 20 million visitors per year to this town with a population of 11,000, of which three-quarters were day-trippers. Therefore, it was vital to promote attractive places and products in addition to existing major tourist attractions, extending the length of stay and increasing the number of overnight visitors. To this end, we considered ways in which we could bring about a shift from quantity to quality of services. Although Hakone has many attractive tourism resources, there was a lack of human resources to guide visitors to these attractions, so we developed a human resources training program for guides. To solve this problem, we launched a project to develop human resources who could serve as guides. The leader of the project was an experienced local mountain guide, and the DMO supported them as the secretariat. Members included town stakeholders, such as accommodation facilities. The team began by thoroughly identifying and organizing the types of guides needed in Hakone and their roles. Taking a medium- to long-term perspective, the team worked to build a strategy for training guides and determine the direction of the project. By making this an official Hakone DMO certification, we aim to improve the recognition of guides in Hakone, promote new employment in the region, and improve Hakone’s brand value as a tourism destination as part of a sustainable business cycle.

The Miura Peninsula Tourism Liaison Council composed of Kamakura City, Zushi City, Yokosuka City, Miura City, and Hayama Town, was established in the coastal area of the Miura Peninsula, centering on Kamakura City, Zushi City, Hayama Town, and other cities that share the problems of garbage, noise, and others caused by tourist activities such as swimming, barbecuing, etc. in the area. The area was designated as a model destination for the Japan Tourism Agency’s Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations Model Project in FY2020. Utilizing the model project, specific measures are being considered to address the issues to be resolved, such as implementing surveys to grasp tourists’ awareness of the aforementioned issues.

The Miura Peninsula Tourism Liaison Council composed of Kamakura City, Zushi City, Yokosuka City, Miura City, and Hayama Town, was established in the coastal area of the Miura Peninsula, centering on Kamakura City, Zushi City, Hayama Town, and other cities that share the problems of garbage, noise, and others caused by tourist activities such as swimming, barbecuing, etc. in the area. The area was designated as a model destination for the Japan Tourism Agency’s Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations Model Project in FY2020. Utilizing the model project, specific measures are being considered to address the issues to be resolved, such as implementing surveys to grasp tourists’ awareness of the aforementioned issues.

Kamaishi City, which suffered extensive damage in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, formulated the Kamaishi City Tourism Promotion Vision in 2017 to create a new town and tourist destination in the wake of the disaster. This vision, which proposed the Kamaishi Open Field Museum Concept, in which the entire city of Kamaishi is considered a museum without a roof, was to be accomplished by realizing post-disaster reconstruction through tourism. One of the measures in this vision is the promotion of sustainable tourism and introducing the standards prescribed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The vision clearly states that Kamaishi aims to become the first city in Japan to obtain GSTC Certified Destination status by introducing management evaluation indicators that meet international standards. Efforts to create a sustainable tourism destination in Kamaishi City are underway following discussions to formulate a Vision for the Promotion of Tourism in Kamaishi City. Following the formulation of this vision, the city has adopted the Green Destinations program, put on by Green Destinations, an international standard certification organization, to hone its capabilities and encourage the participation of local residents while putting the Kamaishi Open Field Museum into practice.

Located in the center of Kyoto Prefecture, Miyama Town has a population of approximately 3,500 people and an area of 340 km2. The town has been designated by the Japanese government as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. 39 thatched-roof houses still remain in Miyama's northern hamlets, attracting tourists both domestic and international tourists. As a result of village revitalization efforts that began in earnest in the 1990s, the number of visitors to Miyama has increased to approximately 700,000 annually, and the town has become renowned for its traditional thatched houses, known under the name of Miyama Kayabuki no Sato. It seems that local residents are now proud of the community where they grew up. However, from an economic standpoint, issues such as low tourism expenditure (per capita) and short length of stay in the area have become apparent. In 2014, Miyama became the sixth town in Japan and the first in the Kinki region to have its Overall Concept for Promoting Ecotourism approved by the ministers of the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. In 2016, the Kyoto Miyama Tourism Association was established as a tourism management organization in Miyama Town and registered as a Japanese DMO corporation. Our efforts over the years have been recognized worldwide, and in December 2021, we were selected as one of the 44 Best Tourism Villages in the world by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). We are promoting tourism initiatives to bring the rich nature, culture, and landscape of Miyama leftF by our predecessors to visitors through experiences and exchanges, and to regard visitors as collaborators in helping to preserve Miyama for the future.

Kuroshima-cho, Sasebo City, saw an increase in the number of tourists after Villages on Kuroshima Island was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site as one of the component properties of Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region. However, there is a lack of infrastructure such as public restrooms and transportation on the island. As such, efforts are underway to address this situation, such as the promotion of Kuroshima Hospitality Restroom, an initiative taken in cooperation with stores and restaurants on the island to make restrooms in their stores available to tourists, as well as the establishment of Green Slow Mobility, a small mobility service using low-speed electric vehicles to drive on public roads at under 20 km per hour, and electric bikes that allow visitors to relax and enjoy the scenery while preserving the natural environment. With the continuous population decline in recent years remaining unchecked, the aging rate exceeding 50%, and the local economy stagnating, the islanders were concerned about their future. In 1989, a call was made within the island for an organization to hold and manage events such as summer festivals and athletic meets to revitalize the island, leading to the formation of the Kuroshima Women's Association and the Kuroshima Youth Association. Gradually, a sense of hospitality was fostered among the islanders, and in 1998, when Kuroshima Church was designated as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government, momentum to attract tourists to Kuroshima led to the formation of Kuroshima's first tourist guide organization, the Kuroshima Historic Site Preservation Society.The activities of Kuroshima Historic Site Preservation Society were so well received that the island began to attract an average of around 1,300 visitors each year.

In 2019, Shirakawa Village was visited by about 2.15 million tourists who came to see its group of traditional houses built in the gassho style (with steep thatched roofs) that are inscribed on the World Heritage list. However, these visits are concentrated in certain districts and time periods and lead to problems in the aspects of traffic congestion, rubbish, and toilet use. At the same time, tourism is not making enough of a contribution to the local economy, because a mechanism has not been constructed for generating revenue from tourist spending. Furthermore, the village also faced difficulties in areas such as the district’s sustainability, the aging population, and the increasing shortage of labor. In response, in December 2019, it released its “second comprehensive strategy,” which is a master plan for village development that would make Shirakawa a place in which people would want to continue residing as long as they lived. The strategy posts the development of a sustainable village while maintaining or exceeding the current population as its basic goal. On the tourism front as well, the master plan identifies key performance indicators (KPIs) and policies for tourism. In accordance with this strategy, the village is taking approaches to sustainable community-building utilizing tourism, so that the children of the future will be able to protect and pass on the World Heritage site.

Narazuke, as the name suggests, is a specialty of Nara, and is said to have a history of approximately 1,200 to 1,300 years. It is a traditional type of pickle with a unique flavor created by preserving vegetables in sake lees. Nara is also said to be the birthplace of sake, and Narazuke is popular all over Japan as a typical preserved food. Considering the historical background and culture of Narazuke, the company of Naraya Honten strives to produce these pickles in their traditional form: i.e. pickling vegetables harvested in Nara using sake lees produced in Nara sake. The company believes that this will contribute to sustainable tourism in Nara.

Minamichita Town is a tourism destination that attracts 2.5 million visitors annually, especially during the summer season. This town is working to solve the local issues of beach beautification, food loss, and traditional food culture on the Utsumi Coast. The activity guideline for local volunteers and others was simple: Pick up visible litter on a sandy beach. At least once a month, volunteers who love the area's sandy beaches get together and continue their efforts to pick up litter. In the course of doing so, a range of events has been held on these beautiful sandy beaches, attracting attention from people in other areas as well as from the local community. These include creating sand art using a sandy beach with no obstructions as a canvas and making handmade plants with beautiful sand (such as succulent plants). In 2022, the town was selected as one of the Top 100 Green Destinations.

Kyoto, where TOURISTSHIP is based, is visited by large numbers of people every year. Some of its residents felt animosity toward visitors, causing conflict between them. When we started interviewing local residents to find out what they thought about visitors, results implied that both sides needed to get closer and be more open to treat each other with consideration, thus we coined the term touristship and are working to promote it with the aim of changing the situation from the way tourist behave.

In the city of Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, a group led by a DMO is making efforts for active use of traditional townhouses (machiya) and old private houses that are historical resources but had become unoccupied. They transformed these into Nipponia Hotel Ozu Castle Town, and thereby assisted the revitalization of vacant housing in the city’s historical area and the preservation of the traditional townscape.

Kudaka Island in Okinawa Prefecture, an island with a population of only 200 people, was experiencing a variety of problems due to the approximately 60,000 tourists who visit the island annually. In addition, as more and more young people wanted to return to the island, the lack of jobs and housing on the island was becoming a problem. As a solution, we began the challenge of creating a system to preserve the lifestyle and scenery that the islanders wanted to retain and to have tourism support this. Specifically, we worked to spread the benefit of tourism to the economy throughout the island by developing tour programs that would allow visitors to experience the island's diverse local resources. And then, we conducted online surveys with tourists and residents through questionnaires and continue to monitor the situation in the community while everyone is seeing the benefits of these initiatives. Monitoring the local resources and the local economy is a remaining issue.

In the Fifth Okinawa Basic Plan for Tourism Promotion, formulated in FY2012 , Okinawa Prefecture positioned its future vision for FY2021 as “a world-class tourist resort destination” and established the “Okinawa Tourism Outcome Indicators” with 40 criteria in five areas, including economy, tourists, prefectural residents, environment, and management. In addition, the Sixth Okinawa Basic Plan for Tourism Promotion, formulated in July 2022, specifies the establishment of performance indicators for basic measures and has increased the number of performance criteria from 40 to 85 to promote tourism measures based on more precise indicator management. Furthermore, the Sixth Okinawa Basic Plan for Tourism Promotion clearly defines the future image of Okinawa as a sustainable tourism destination chosen by the world, thereby aiming to create a sustainable tourism destination.

Yoron Island is located around the latitude said to be the northern limit for seeing the Southern Cross constellation. Because it has a good environment for observing the night sky, the town authorities have been promoting astro-tourism (i.e., stargazing) as a new tourism product. This approach was initially undertaken through a partnership between Yoron Town and the Wakayama University Faculty of Tourism (the two signed a comprehensive partnership agreement on tourism promotion in September 2019). In addition, because astro-tourism is attracting attention as a type of tourism product that contributes to sustainable development of destinations, the town is acting based on the following principles of such development. - Tourism destination development with an equitable distribution of socioeconomic benefit to all stakeholders (training of stargazing guides) - Tourism destination development with consideration for the natural ecosystem (environmental improvement for better stargazing and measures to prevent light pollution) - Tourism destination development that respects the society and culture of the host community (communication and use of the astro-culture through astro-tourism)

Niseko Town has been featured in the media as a leading snow resort destination for inbound tourism, and the number of visitors from overseas has increased year annually. In fact, in fiscal year 2018 , overseas visitors accounted for approximately 40% of the total number of overnight stays in Niseko. However, the global outbreak of COVID-19 caused serious damage to the local economy, including the tourism industry, and this marked a major turning point in the town's rethinking of the very nature of its tourism. Niseko has long been practicing sustainable urban development as an Environmental Model City and SDGs Future City, and has formulated the Niseko Town Tourism Promotion Vision with the aim of promoting sustainable tourism throughout the region to become a destination of choice for the post-COVID-19 era.

Kyoto City received many tourists from Japan and abroad as one of the world's leading tourist destinations. However, around 2014, overtourism and tourist etiquette became apparent problems. In addition, a shortage of cultural leaders, the decline of local communities and other issues were also on the rise. In 2021, the Kyoto Tourism Promotion Plan 2025 was formulated with the vision of enabling sustainable tourism that contributes to enriching the lives of citizens, solving regional and social issues, achieving the SDGs, and responding to various crises such as infectious diseases and disasters, as well as environmental issues. Many stakeholders have been involved in the planning process, and it is expected that sustainable regional management will be achieved by further expanding the range of participants and target policy areas.

Kyoto, where TOURISTSHIP is based, is visited by large numbers of people every year. Some of its residents felt animosity toward visitors, causing conflict between them. When we started interviewing local residents to find out what they thought about visitors, results implied that both sides needed to get closer and be more open to treat each other with consideration, thus we coined the term touristship and are working to promote it with the aim of changing the situation from the way tourist behave.

Kudaka Island in Okinawa Prefecture, an island with a population of only 200 people, was experiencing a variety of problems due to the approximately 60,000 tourists who visit the island annually. In addition, as more and more young people wanted to return to the island, the lack of jobs and housing on the island was becoming a problem. As a solution, we began the challenge of creating a system to preserve the lifestyle and scenery that the islanders wanted to retain and to have tourism support this. Specifically, we worked to spread the benefit of tourism to the economy throughout the island by developing tour programs that would allow visitors to experience the island's diverse local resources. And then, we conducted online surveys with tourists and residents through questionnaires and continue to monitor the situation in the community while everyone is seeing the benefits of these initiatives. Monitoring the local resources and the local economy is a remaining issue.

Kudaka Island in Okinawa Prefecture, an island with a population of only 200 people, was experiencing a variety of problems due to the approximately 60,000 tourists who visit the island annually. In addition, as more and more young people wanted to return to the island, the lack of jobs and housing on the island was becoming a problem. As a solution, we began the challenge of creating a system to preserve the lifestyle and scenery that the islanders wanted to retain and to have tourism support this. Specifically, we worked to spread the benefit of tourism to the economy throughout the island by developing tour programs that would allow visitors to experience the island's diverse local resources. And then, we conducted online surveys with tourists and residents through questionnaires and continue to monitor the situation in the community while everyone is seeing the benefits of these initiatives. Monitoring the local resources and the local economy is a remaining issue.

Kuroshima-cho, Sasebo City, saw an increase in the number of tourists after Villages on Kuroshima Island was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site as one of the component properties of Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region. However, there is a lack of infrastructure such as public restrooms and transportation on the island. As such, efforts are underway to address this situation, such as the promotion of Kuroshima Hospitality Restroom, an initiative taken in cooperation with stores and restaurants on the island to make restrooms in their stores available to tourists, as well as the establishment of Green Slow Mobility, a small mobility service using low-speed electric vehicles to drive on public roads at under 20 km per hour, and electric bikes that allow visitors to relax and enjoy the scenery while preserving the natural environment. With the continuous population decline in recent years remaining unchecked, the aging rate exceeding 50%, and the local economy stagnating, the islanders were concerned about their future. In 1989, a call was made within the island for an organization to hold and manage events such as summer festivals and athletic meets to revitalize the island, leading to the formation of the Kuroshima Women's Association and the Kuroshima Youth Association. Gradually, a sense of hospitality was fostered among the islanders, and in 1998, when Kuroshima Church was designated as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government, momentum to attract tourists to Kuroshima led to the formation of Kuroshima's first tourist guide organization, the Kuroshima Historic Site Preservation Society. The activities of Kuroshima Historic Site Preservation Society were so well received that the island began to attract an average of around 1,300 visitors each year. When the island was selected as a candidate for World Heritage nomination in 2014 for Kuroshima Church, one of the components of Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki, the number of

Kyoto City received many tourists from Japan and abroad as one of the world's leading tourist destinations. However, around 2014, overtourism and tourist etiquette became apparent problems. In addition, a shortage of cultural leaders, the decline of local communities and other issues were also on the rise. In 2021, the Kyoto Tourism Promotion Plan 2025 was formulated with the vision of enabling sustainable tourism that contributes to enriching the lives of citizens, solving regional and social issues, achieving the SDGs, and responding to various crises such as infectious diseases and disasters, as well as environmental issues. Many stakeholders have been involved in the planning process, and it is expected that sustainable regional management will be achieved by further expanding the range of participants and target policy areas.