## Section 4 Efforts Directed at the Way of Moving

Because Japan’s tourism market is supported for the most part by the people taking tours by themselves, stirring their desire to take sightseeing tours would be essential to achieve sustained market growth. Youths tend to take fewer tours than as reported in the preceding chapter; the reason behind this may be that latent demand for travel has not been fully exploited, probably because youths are hardly motivated to set out on a tour without a full recognition of the value of travel, because the absence of traveling companions discourages them to take traveling action and so on. Considering the fact that the more often one has taken tours in the past, the more one is desirous of taking tours in the future, the present pace of fall in youth tourism could dampen the nation’s traveling action in the long run. From viewpoints of maintaining and expanding Japan’s tourism market both at present and in the future, giving travel experience to youths and so on, it would be necessary to promote youth travel.

## ① Efforts being made at the Youth Travel Promotion Workshop

The Youth Travel Promotion Workshop, consisting of representatives of industrial, academic and governmental circles, was set up and collected information about youth’s travel trends and explored the approaches taken in other industries to grab youths in two phases of its activity, namely, in Phase 1 from July 2010 to June 2011, and Phase 2, from November 2011 to June 2012. The Workshop released its recommendations on the specific measures to be taken to promote youth travel in July of the same year (Graphic 226).

## Graphic 226 Specific Measures to Combat to Promote Youth Travel

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1) Different youth have as many different themes to capture themselves. Screen out and set defined themes to grab youths.

2) Let youth find an added value in travels, such as self-investment and rare experiences.

3) Exploit latent demand positively, as by emphasizing privileges available to parties of three or more.

4) Promote travel goods at the non-travel Websites that are popular among youths to help acquire new customers.

5) Feature an experience to have contact with locals as an element of travel.

6) Take approaches that get down directly through to the travel needs of youths by working jointly with college seminars, NPOs and the like.

Source) MLIT

## ② Inauguration of an awarding system

The “Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency Award in Support of Youth Travels” was inaugurated in June 2012 to recognize the efforts of local governments, NPOs, enterprises, individuals and so on working to promote youth travels. A catchphrase that allures youths into an act of travel was publicly sought to publicize this awarding system. From among 267 applications, “No Better Time to Travel Than Now” was chosen in October 2012 (Graphic 227).

For the three-month public application period until February 2013, 61 applications were received and the winner will be awarded in June 2013.

Graphic 227

"Youth Travel" Logo Mark

* Multiple designs varying in seasonal theme and target, have been worked out at the Youth Travel Promotion Workshop. http://www.milt.go.jp/kankocho/topics05_000038.html

Source) MLIT