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JAPAN TOURISM AWARDS
The 8th "JAPAN TOURISM AWARDS" in 2024 Winners
This is only available in Japanese
In order to adapt to the various paradigm shifts taking place in the world, it has become imperative for tourism to shift toward a new normal. To begin with, tourism needs to cater to the well-being* of travelers and consumers, regardless of the difficulties and constraints that may exist. In addition to revitalizing local economies and societies through the creation of new employment opportunities, there is also a need to deepen our mutual understanding in a manner that transcends national and regional borders, spur growth in Japan and other countries around the world, and ultimately achieve world peace. Tourism must continue to evolve in order to ensure the revival and sustainability of the "power of travel."
To achieve this goal, tourism needs to be engaged in addressing a diverse range of issues, including contributing to local communities, ensuring safety and security, enhancing productivity, and protecting our environment. The JAPAN TOURISM AWARDS will recognize the efforts of organizations, companies, and groups and individuals that play a major role in ensuring the revival and sustainability of the "power of travel" by drawing attention to their exemplary initiatives. The awards-winning initiatives will be widely publicized throughout the world in collaboration with Tourism Expo Japan as model cases with the aim of contributing to the future development of tourism.
*The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined "health" as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being."
Applications
Application Area
(1) Field of Domestic and Inbound Travel
Initiatives to promote or invigorate domestic or inbound travel
(2) Fields of Outbound Travel
Initiatives to promote or invigorate international travel demand from within Japan
Application Eligibility
Organizations, companies, groups and individuals who have contributed to the promotion and development of tourism, that have developed businesses that contribute to the expansion of tourism such as governments, tourism offices, embassies, local authorities, tourism associations, DMOs, NPOs, travel agencies, transportation companies, accommodation facilities, food industries, ICT, agricultural, forestry and fishery industries, traditional craft industries, TV stations, newspaper companies, publishers, film commissions, sports commissions and industrial tourism.
Initiatives eligible for application
(1) Initiative to promote a sustainable tourism region
(2) Initiative to promote international mutual exchange
(3) Initiative to expand domestic exchange
(4) Initiative to expand outbound travel
Application Deadline
May 31, 2024 (Friday) 11:59 p.m. ⇒ June 7, 2024（Friday）11:59 p.m.
*Application must be sent (registered by the system) by the deadline.
*Please take into account that applications sent just before the deadline may encounter transmission difficulties that could cause them to miss the deadline.
How to Apply
Please apply by filling in the required information according to the application.Accompanying images and other media can also be uploaded through the application form.
Applications
Judging Criteria
(1) Innovation
・Does the initiative promote innovation and create a new market as a new business model?
・Does the promotion of tourism DX contribute to improve the convenience of travelers and improve the productivity of the tourism industry and local industries?
・Does the innovation initiative bring new expansion to stimulate the local economy and to improve the sustainability of the region, industry, etc.?
(2) Profitability
・Does the initiative contribute to the realization of a “profitable region” and the improvement of the profitability of the tourism industry, such as by adding high value to tourist destinations and the tourism industry?
・Is the initiative expected to secure revenue and financial resources, and is it also accepted by the market, such as obtaining high user satisfaction?
・Does the initiative enhance the continuity and effectiveness to promote sustainable tourism?
* Cleary state the specific results such as handling number of people, number of visitors, handling number of cases, number of operations, amount of tourism consumption, economic effect, etc.
(3) Contribution to sustainable tourism
・Is it possible to implement the initiative on a sustainable basis?
・Does the initiative contribute to the realization of sustainable society through protection of the environment, utilization and preservation of local resources such as historical and cultural inheritance, human resource development, universal design, diversity and risk management?
・Is it a resilient initiative?
(4) Contribution to regional revitalization
・Is the initiative contributing to the development of the local community in cooperation with various stakeholders?
Awards (Tentative) 2024
- Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Award
- Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry's Award
- Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner's Awards
- Executive Committee Award
- UN Tourism Awards
- Jury's Special Awards
- JAPAN TOURISM AWARD elected by students
- Winners
The 7th "JAPAN TOURISM AWARDS" in 2023 Winners
Past winners
2023 Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Awards
| Organization name | Ensen Marugoto Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Organization name | "Ensen Marugoto Hotel" By considering the area along the railway line as one hotel, it is designed to revitalize this declining regions so the visitors can enjoy the charms of the whole railway line. |
| Selection Comment | We love the project's worldview representing the entire region as a hotel, with stations and surrounding community contents as a whole; we highly recognized the idea of shifting vacant houses to hotel rooms, and unstaffed stations to front desks of the hotel, and that successfully engages visitors, We hope that this will be one of the measures to maintain railroad lines in other depopulated areas. |
2023 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | CORARE ARTISANS JAPAN, INC. |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Reviving Japanese traditional crafts through “A new way of interacting with tourists and craftsmen.” |
| Selection Comment | This is an epoch-making model in developing multifaceted tourism town that leveraging the most of artisans. This project was recognized for its various economic and social effects it has produced, such as the elimination of vacant houses and the expected acquisition of traditional craft torchbearers. |
2023 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | Kamaishi DMC Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Recovery from the 2011 Tsunami and the Practice of Building a Sustainable Destination from Scratch - Viewing the Whole Town as a "Museum Without a Roof" |
| Selection Comment | We highly recognized this initiative as a model case of DMOs that has created a tourist destination from scratch while thoroughly pursuing sustainability. We are looking forward to its future prospects as a new community-led tourism policy in which tourism is a side business with people and their livelihoods as tourism materials. |
©かまいしDMC
2023 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | GoWithGuide.com |
|---|---|
| Organization name | A Tour Marketplace that Connects Tourists and Tour Guide Professionals (GoWithGuide.com) |
| Selection Comment | We recognized this project for making travel more satisfying by matching tour guides from all over the world to meet diversifying individual demand, and for its environment-friendly ideas, including the use of walking and the public transportation. We look forward to its contribution to the expansion of outbound demand in the future. |
2023 Executive Committee Awards
| Organization name | Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Mannar Eco-tourism |
| Selection Comment | The Mannar Eco-tourism project was recognized not only for its economic contribution to the local community through the creation of tours, but also for its efforts to preserve the unique ecosystem of the region, to promote environmental conservation, and to create employment, embodying a new form of eco-tourism in the future. |
2020 Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Award
| Organization name | Amami Innovation Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Expanding “(Daily) Tourism of everyday life experiece” Created by Village Culture With “Denpaku + Magun Square” Both Domestically and Internationally |
| Selection Comment | This is a proposal for a new form of travel that “turns the daily life of the village culture into a tourist attraction” without relying exclusively on the killer contents of staying in the village by utilizing vacant houses. Not only attracting tourists, but also promoting the employment of local residents and creating a place for tourists and locals to come together has eliminated the barriers between residents and tourists. The initiative was evaluated highly for its notable social value. |
2020 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | Taisetsu Kamuimintara DMO |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Region-Building and Establishing the “Mountain City Resort” Brand: Aiming for an Area Where Anyone Can Enjoy a Rich and Luxurious Stay |
| Selection Comment | This initiative was evaluated highly for its many exemplary efforts as a regional DMO. The highly appreciated achievements include providing multilingual support and utilizing MaaS, in addition to the wide-range development of regional branding through precise target marketing. |
2020 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | JJTB Kyushu & Remote Islands Island-Hopping Project |
|---|---|
| Organization name | JTB Kyushu & Remote Islands Island-Hopping Project |
| Selection Comment | This initiative is a utilization of Japan’ s character as an island nation. It facilitates remote island tourism through island-hopping that uses charter flights, in addition to fine-tuned content settings and as an initiative it has a very high degree of originality. It was also evaluated as having development potential by, for example, expanding to other regions of Japan. |
2020 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | Miki Tourist Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Tour Europe With Travelers From Around the World on the Next-Generation Rambling Bus Tour JOIBUS! |
| Selection Comment | In tune with the increasing needs of FIT travelers, this service provides even solo-traveling customers with high-level convenience. It includes services in Japanese so Japanese travelers in Europe can travel in comfort and with peace of mind. This is a service which has been created by Miki Tourist, a company with a long history of welcoming tourists to European destinations. The service was evaluated highly due to the diligence and consideration of customers’ needs. |
2020 Awards for Excellent Partner
| Organization name | Catalan Tourist Board |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Legends of Catalonia: The Land of Barcelona VR Game |
| Selection Comment | This is a novel idea of allowing people to experience the culture, history, and natural scenery of Catalonia while enjoying a VR game. It helps users to deepen their knowledge, and by implementing free streaming of the game, it has become a viable way of presenting the charm of Catalonia with a simulated experience during the coronavirus pandemic. This was highly evaluated. |
2019 Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Award
| Organization name | Hyakusenrenma Inc. |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Regional Invigoration Service to Unite “Farm Stays” with “the World” |
| Selection Comment | This is a proposal for a new style of private lodging business aimed at international tourists. The careful and detailed assistance provided to address the concerns and issues faced by farmers and others who might be afraid to invite foreigners to come and stay in their homes is recognized as being both highly innovative and having a high degree of development potential. The utilization of empty residences and expansion of employment show a clear path to solving the problems faced by these regions, and will greatly attract foreign tourism revenue to these areas. |
2019 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | Saga Ureshino Barrier Free Tour Center |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Toward Phase 5 in Making the Ureshino Hot Springs Barrier-Free: Coordinating With Private Ambulance Services |
| Selection Comment | The evaluation was that by pushing ahead with this plan and coordinating with medical institutions, medical supporters can accompany visitors, thus allowing those who have trouble getting into the baths alone, such as elderly and disabled persons, to enjoy the hot springs in the same manner as everyone else in safety and security. Furthermore, it was judged as having an extremely high degree of social value. It sends the warm and friendly message that “If you come to Ureshino, no matter who you are, you can enjoy the hot springs.” |
2019 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau |
|---|---|
| Organization name | An Attempt at a Modern Sightseeing Model in the Hallowed Grounds of Kumano |
| Selection Comment | The pilgrimage route of Kumano Kodo has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. This sustainable initiative with social value is based on coordination and understanding with local residents and corporations, and it has shown the fruits of its labor in bringing in a great many visitors while also preserving and continuing ancient traditions passed down over 1,000 years. From early on, they established a system for welcoming foreign visitors, contributing to a U-turn and migration of young people, and playing a major role in regional invigoration. |
2019 Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner’s Awards
| Organization name | Palau Tourism Board |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Creating the Palau Pledge: The World’s First Environmental Protection Pledge |
| Selection Comment | This initiative is groundbreaking in its encouragement of foreign travelers to make a pledge to preserve nature, intended by the Palau government to protect the natural environment of these islands that are registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The initiative was evaluated as having a high degree of development potential and social value in its connection to sustainable development and its implementation of environmental protection. |
2019 Awards for Excellent Partner
| Organization name | Philippines Department of Tourism |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Toward a Sustainable Development of Tourism and Revival of the Island of Boracay |
| Selection Comment | The revitalization of the natural scenery of Boracay through a half-year suspension of tourist intake has created a brilliant example of tourism working within the sustainable development of society. It received high praise as an initiative with an extremely high level of social value and innovation, as an excellent example of a solution for overtourism issues. |
2018 Grand Prize
| Organization name | Snow Country Tourist Area Association (Snow Country Tourism Zone) |
|---|---|
| Organization name | Snow Country Tourist Area Association (Snow Country Tourism Zone) |
| Selection Comment | • As a pioneering destination marketing organization (DMO) in the Japanese market, this sustainable community development initiative is recognized for the results it has engendered, including creating a collaborative structure between three prefectures and seven municipalities with a view to forging a new “brand story” for the snow country. • By creating new value—characterized by a lifestyle and culture firmly rooted in the community—this initiative sets clear visitor targets by applying marketing strategies, developing products to match customer needs, and implementing strict quality control. |
2018 Awards for Excellent Partner
| Organization name | Tourism Authority of Thailand |
|---|---|
| Organization name | 12 Hidden Gems in Thailand |
| Selection Comment | This initiative features the “12 Hidden Gems,” a selection of new destinations for tourists visiting primarily Bangkok from Japan, 80% of whom are repeaters. The number of tourists is increasing, attracted by relatively unknown cultural and nature spots. |
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