Japan Airlines, JTB Corporation and the Japan Adventure Tourism Organization (JATO) are teaming up to launch a programme supporting human resource advancement in Japan’s bourgeoning adventure tourism sector.
Run by the Adventure Tourism Academy, which was founded in April 2023, the courses will “develop leaders who can maximise the appeal of local areas and realise sustainable tourism”, according to a JATO spokesperson.
Participants will learn how to develop sustainable tourism regions, using methods such as in-person lectures, online workshops and onsite skill-building.
The move comes amid nationwide efforts to promote adventure tourism by utilising the country’s “rich natural environment and diverse cultural resources”, which have the potential to attract more international visitors to regional areas, thereby revitalising local economies, continued the spokesperson.
JATO says more extensive training will help the sector’s human resources address the challenges they face, including “raising awareness (of adventure tourism in Japan), strengthening safety management, using local resources sustainability and cooperating across various administrative organisations”.
Instruction in theory and practice will be provided by a team with extensive experience in Japan and overseas, including active practitioners of adventure tourism and experts in tourism policy, regional tourism development and risk management.
“By addressing the issue of cultivating leadership talent in the Japanese adventure tourism market, we hope to link the UN Sustainable Development Goals and regional assets to economic value through tourism,” said a JAL spokesperson.
A JTB spokesperson added that talent development in Japan’s adventure tourism sector will help “achieve a win-win situation for local communities, travellers and society”.
