Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan
Prefectures in Kyushu are collaborating on an initiative to boost internationals arrivals to the island, following a government-led trend encouraging visitors to explore more of Japan.
To that end, the Find Your Kyushu campaign has been launched. “This campaign is rather unique in that all seven prefectures are collaborating to promote Kyushu as one destination,” said Miki Ito, spokesperson for tour operator OnJapan, which co-founded the campaign.
One of the campaign’s initiative was an event in Tokyo held earlier this month which offered showcases of the region, including musical performances, food and drinks, and workshops on making traditional crafts.
Misuzu Araki of the Fukuoka Prefectural Government’s Tokyo Office said that if Kyushu does not work together, tourists will not make the trip to the southernmost region of Japan’s main island. She added that the focus here is on repeat travellers.
“We are working in Tokyo to appeal to tourists who, on finding out about Kyushu, might visit there on their next trip or be persuaded to include it in their current travel plan,” she said.
Ito agrees, saying that “seasoned travelers or repeat travelers (to Japan) are now seeking different experiences at different destinations”.
As well, Meng Xu, spokesperson for HIS, which is helping to promote the campaign, said the travel agency is trying to be a bridge by introducing Kyushu’s nature and onsen attractions to tourists through its multilingual staff.
Still, challenges remain for Kyushu as a destination due to its lack of foreign language tourist information as well as poor local transportation infrastructure in rural areas, according to a representative from Kyushu Japan Holiday.
