Project title
Tourism destination governance: New roles and innovative approaches to management, stakeholder networks and sustainability
Research Unit
Primary investigator
Co investigators
KATSUKI Yoshiyuki, NAGAI Hayato, NANJO Seiji, NISHIGAMA Yoshimasa,
OGAWA Masanori, SERZHANULY Daniyel
Project period
2025/5/1 ～ 2026/3/31
Project summary
The environment surrounding tourism in Japan is undergoing significant changes. At the Osaka-Kansai Expo, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the realization of Society 5.0 are among its key objectives. Meanwhile, indicators related to "beyond GDP" and "well-being" are being discussed on the international stage, particularly at the United Nations Summit of the Future. In addition, the number of inbound tourists to Japan is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the issue of overtourism has become increasingly apparent. Furthermore, as the needs of international travelers continue to evolve, tourism destinations are being required to demonstrate more advanced response capabilities. In light of these developments, this study focuses on tourism governance, with particular attention given to management, stakeholder networks, and sustainability, in order to explore why outcomes differ across various destinations. Specifically, it seeks to identify differences in the prioritization of initiatives and the ingenuity behind distinctive efforts by each DMO, with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of these dynamics. The research centers on regional DMOs (Chiiki Renkei DMOs) within the Kansai area, gathering information on their activities and aiming to present several best practices as case studies.
Activity report
We set the central research question of this study as: "Why does a specific tourism management model yield different outcomes depending on the destination?" We conducted our research by focusing on the interactions among three key stakeholders: A (Academic): domestic and international researchers and graduate students; P (Practitioner): local tourism stakeholders such as DMOs and government officials; and G (Global): international partners who are practitioners with academic perspectives.
Specifically, within the one-year research period, we addressed the sub-question: "Why does a specific tourism management model vary by destination due to differences in practitioner perceptions and site-specific ideas?" We conducted the following activities: (1) extracting field-level insights through tariff-making practices and group work at a study group involving local tourism stakeholders in Wakayama Prefecture (A-P interaction), and (2) discussing the structure of Japanese DMOs with international partners (A-G interaction).
As a result, we achieved the following:
First, regarding the A-P interaction, the DMOs directly involved in the Kinki District Transport Bureau's hands-on support project presented their processes and outcomes. Consequently, we collected participant feedback on the significance and effectiveness of conducting SWOT analysis for DMOs. Furthermore, we organized a tariff-making group work session. Through this, we observed the potential for tariff-based communication and the generation of new ideas through dialogue between graduate students and practitioners.
Second, regarding the A-G interaction, we exchanged views with a practitioner and PhD candidate from Kazakhstan concerning the characteristics of the Japanese DMO system. We discussed how these features might influence tourism development in Central Asian countries. Consequently, we identified that considering the scope of DMO activities could contribute to categorizing destination management challenges based on the respective decision-making entities.
Based on these outcomes, we will continue our analysis toward presenting these findings at academic conferences.
