Title:
Anyone, Anywhere： Overcoming Mobility Challenges
Destination, Country: Hakone Town

Submitted by: Hakone DMO Sustainability Coordinator Assistant Emi Onoe

In the category: ☐ Destination Management☐ Nature & Scenery☐ Environment & Climate☐ Culture & Tradition☐ Thriving Communities☒ Business & Marketing

The Story in a picture:
View of the volcanic area from the 1044-meter-high Owakudani.
Summary:
Hakone Town is located within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park in Japan. It is a popular hot spring resort andtourist destination known for its historic and natural sites. Hakone can be reached in just one hour from Tokyo andhas been welcoming approximately 20 million tourists annually from the metropolitan area and abroad. However,
due to its mountainous terrain with significant elevation differences, numerous slopes, stairs, and steps, Hakone has
not been a travel-friendly destination for people with limited mobility. In response, the town and Hakone DMO haveaimed to create a "welcoming tourist destination" where anyone can travel comfortably and to promote universal
tourism and accessibility.
A collaboration between tourism and welfare organisations and extensive discussions with various stakeholders in
the town, various forms of information and media were created and distributed as well as awareness programs for
hospitality providers. This initiative received significant positive feedback from wheelchair users, and other welfareorganisations with the goal of providing memorable experiences for all while sharing and inspiring other tourism
destinations in Japan to create similar initiatives.

Good Practice Story:
Destination description
Brief background of the destination.
The Hakone area is known as one of Japan's leading tourist destinations; popular for mountain views, hot springs,
historical sites, and museums. It has a significant elevation difference ranging from approximately 94m to 1400m.
Hakone lies on the historic Tokaido Road connecting Tokyo and Kyoto and has been considered one of the mostchallenging sections of the historic Tokaido road due to the mountainous nature of the area. There are also manyslopes and stairs compared to other tourist destinations. Hakone has often been seen as a place that was difficult orchallenging for older people and those with physical disabilities to visit.

Issues facedProblems/issues solved with the Good Practice Story.
Despite the challenging geography of the area Hakone had not catered to or made widespread efforts toaccommodate travellers with limited mobility.
From research trips and interviews we learned that hot springs resorts and mountains are not easy to navigate forwheelchairs and others with physical challenges. The mountainous nature of the area led to many slopes and stairs
and challenges to access public transportation. There was also no overt effort to accommodate these special needs
as a whole for the area. This posed a significant challenge for Hakone, which aims to be a tourist destination that isaccessible to everyone.
In Japan, the ageing of the population is rapidly progressing which limits the travel frequency, safety, andsatisfaction among seniors as well. It was deemed necessary for Hakone to improve the accessibility oftourism-related facilities and services, share information, and enhance the town's image as an accessible destinationin the medium and long term by actively approaching the senior population and individuals with mobility concerns
through marketing efforts.

Methods, steps, and tools applied
Solutions implemented to address sustainability problems or issues.
● Hakone town and Hakone DMO formed a project that initially consisted of DMO office staff, town tourism
department employees, and accommodation providers. The initial members of the project were neither directlyinvolved nor experts in the matter so the group was expanded to include local experts and people with experience
with mobility issues. In order to improve the situation for travellers with disabilities and address accessibility
concerns, the project group first consulted with the Hakone Town Council of Social Welfare which had notpreviously been involved in this sort of project. They provided insight, suggestions, and introductions towheelchair users living in Hakone and introductions to caregiving facilities.
● Stakeholders such as wheelchair users, caregivers, accommodation providers, transportation providers, aswell as experts, were included in creating and holding the research trip for those with mobility challenges.
● Based on interviews conducted with wheelchair users it was discovered that while each facility individually
made efforts towards barrier-free accessibility, there was no unified approach. Travellers faced difficulties startingfrom the information-gathering stage and often ended up giving up on their travel plans. It became clear that thekey was to consolidate, create, and disseminate information in an efficient, collected, and accessible manner.
● It was also found that if there was even a single barrier during the travel itinerary, travellers would have torethink their travel (itinerary) and even overall plans. Therefore, it was realized that simply providing a list offacility information was not sufficient. What was needed was not just individual pieces of information, but acomprehensive guide on how to move from one place to another. The accommodation providers' responses
varied, with some offering solid support while others adopting a passive approach of "providing assistance withintheir capabilities."● As a result, a comprehensive booklet titled "Exploring in a Wheelchair: Trip to Hakone" was created as an
all-in-one solution for maps, information, and (suggestions) travel tips. Two model courses were developed: one
utilizing public transportation and the other using private vehicles. 10,000 copies were distributed to 42 locations,including regional social welfare organizations, clinics, and public transportation stations in the Tokyo
metropolitan area. The initial 10,000 copies were quickly depleted, and requests for reprints were received.
● Recognizing the need for a change in the mindset of the hospitality providers, seminars and study sessions
were held in 2022. Over 100 participants from a total of 25 companies and accommodation facilities attended andshowed great enthusiasm in learning from demonstration experiments and listening to wheelchair users'experiences.
● Lectures were conducted for Hakone DMO-certified guides, with a total of 15 participants. The guides had
the opportunity to experience the situation as individuals by actually using a wheelchair, gaining firsthandknowledge of the challenges. Newfound information and understanding from this experience have contributed to
the guides' ability to better accommodate travellers with disabilities.
● This year, we are planning to provide more opportunities for frontline tourism operators to learn about
assistance methods and continue to promote a barrier-free mindset for guests and hospitality providers. Programs
are also being created to encourage local school children to be mindful and proactive in finding solutions for thosehaving mobility issues.

Key success factors
Critical elements that led to successfully solving the issues.
● Creating opportunities for various stakeholders from tourism, welfare, and business to interact andproblem-solve for the whole community was integral to our success.
● Gaining information and opinions from those directly affected by mobility challenges. For travellers withdisabilities, a research trip was created to gain insight and discover specific challenges for those visiting Hakone.
Practical explanations on how to push a wheelchair on challenging slopes and other helpful insights were filmed in
Hakone and actively shared on YouTube.
*Wheelchair version and Transportation version● Based on the research trip results, recommended routes were created suggesting "If you take this route, itwill be smoother." Additionally, based on advice from wheelchair users the guidebook was designed to focus onphotos to provide a clear understanding of the actual conditions at each location. As the degree of disability varies
among individuals, including photos allows the person to make their own judgement. For multipurpose toilets,
detailed information such as whether the handrail is on the right or left side and whether the doors wereautomatic or manual was included. Due to the previous lack of information on how travellers with disabilities
could enjoy their trip, such information received significant positive responses.
● Through lectures, it was possible to encourage a mindset change among hospitality and accommodation
providers, which tended to be passive. These lectures highlighted the significance of accommodating special
needs guests. Voices expressing the intention to utilize the information and share it with potential guests werereceived, leading to a gradual mindset change within the entire community.

Lessons learned
Challenges faced while implementing the Good Practice and their solutions.
In Japan travel frequency, barrier-free measures were primarily driven by government policies with individual
facilities left to handle the implementation. While some facilities have taken solid measures, the reception of
travellers with disabilities tended to be passive. The time and effort required for the facilities to make changes werecited as the main reasoning.
The median age of Japanese travellers is increasing and the domestic accommodation travel market is shrinking.
There is a growing focus on the elderly market. By improving the travel environment, travel frequency, safety, andsatisfaction among seniors can be maintained with an expected increase in the number of travellers in this segment.

With the establishment of a welcoming environment in the community, wheelchair users and elderly residents canalso experience increased residential satisfaction in terms of access and “liveability.” Both businesses and customers,
as well as local residents, can have improved experiences in the community and visited tourism areas and sites.

Achievements and Results
Direct and indirect results of the Good Practice.
There was a need for a comprehensive plan for accessibility and an inclusivity policy for the area as a whole.
Through a collaboration between tourism and welfare groups, extensive discussions were held with stakeholders in
the community for over a year and actively shared specific and visual information to guests and service providers. It
was realized that this approach could generate new travel demand and provide a better experience for those withmobility challenges.
It was reported that some individuals who saw this booklet made inquiries such as, "I am considering Hakone formy last trip in my life. Is it possible to request assistance with bathing?"
Through this initiative we have increased the level of hospitality to travellers, especially the elderly and people
with disabilities. We have been able to bring joy to many individuals and establish a WIN-WIN relationship from amarketing perspective as well.

Tips for other destinations
Your suggestions or recommendations for other destinations facing the same issues or implementingsimilar solutions
This project was a success through collaboration between tourism and welfare.

Recognitions and Additional references
Recognitions and awards the Good Practice received and supporting evidence.
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Production and distribution of 10,000 copies of the "Hakone Sightseeing Map for Wheelchair Users," which
received a great response.
Featured on social media and in newspapers. People planned their routes while referring to the map. During
their travels they frequently checked their Maps, keeping it in the back pocket of their wheelchairs. Theseexperiences were shared on social media. There were also requests and posts asking for the map to be
distributed in more places.
Link: https://www.hakone.or.jp/files/w007_2023051011121997943.pdf
It was prominently covered in the local newspaper.
Link: https://www.townnews.co.jp/0607/2022/05/07/624210.html
A video of wheelchair travellers riding the Hakone Ropeway during the demonstration experiment wasposted on social media, and the number of views increased from 3,778 to 61,000, more than ten times theusual number of views. The increase in views was attributed to sharing information that wheelchair users
were unaware of (the possibility of wheelchair-accessible sightseeing in Hakone).
Link: https://hakone-japan.com/pre/wp/wp-content/uploads/accessible-tourism-results.pdf
The local social welfare council always offered wheelchair rentals. Usage increased significantly after thisproject. In comparison to the fiscal year 2021, the number of rentals increased significantly from 2 cases to 45
cases in the fiscal year 2022. (*As per the survey conducted by the social welfare council)
2 versions videos are available on YouTube:Wheelchair version：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcRQPxnzhIY
Transportation version：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ecW58jcxAE&t=254s