INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON GREEN TOURISM 2023: A CHALLENGE TOWARD ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TOURISM FOR PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES
On February 10, 2023, the Japan Tourism Agency together with the UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific will hold the International Symposium on Green Tourism 2023. This year's symposium will focus on understanding the concept of "green tourism" within the global and domestic context and will showcase community initiatives and good practices.
In this symposium, a group of local government representatives and tourism-related businesses from within and outside Japan were invited to present their initiatives for green tourism in their communities and share their good practices. A panel discussion will follow to help deepen the understanding of green tourism and ensure efforts towards this kind of tourism are possible in the future.
Green tourism not only preserves the natural environment in local communities but also stimulates new tourism demand and promotes local employment. Therefore, it contributes to sustainable tourism that realizes a harmonious cycle between the economy and members of the communities.
Videos are now available (Japanese with English subtitles):
Programme:
Part 1. Keynote speech from:
Dr. Dirk Glaesser, Director, Sustainable Development of Tourism Department, UN World Tourism Organization
Prof. Ayako Toko, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University
Part 2. Presentations:
JTB Tourism Research and Consulting, Co.
Ms. Caroline Anderson, Planning Director, Hawaii Tourism Authority
Ms. Asuka Hamakawa, Representative Director, Earth Company/ Owner, Mana Earth Paradise (Bali, Indonesia)
Ms. Reiko Hamakawa, CEO, Tokuto LLC. (Teshima, Kagawa Prefecture)
Mr. Naoto Endo, Representative Director, Tofuya Ryokan (Yamagata Prefecture)
Mr. Yoshinobu Funabashi, CEO, Hachimantai Geo Farm/ CEO, Hachimantai Geothermal Utilization Project Joint Enterprise Cooperative (Iwate Prefecture)
Mr. Akinobu Ishimatsu, Section Manager, Town Planning Section, Economy Department, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Part 3. 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)
Organized by: Japan Tourism Agency / UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific
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