(TAN): Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has become a Destination Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
The JTA was established in 2008 as an organisation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to help the Japanese government improve tourism-related measures towards turning the country into a tourism nation. The body also serves to develop Japan as an environment friendly country for tourists.
GSTC, on the other hand, is a nonprofit based in the United States that acts as the global body to help develop knowledge and understanding of sustainable tourism practices, encourage the implementation of universal sustainable tourism principles, and create demand for sustainable travel.
JTA pledged to formally adopt GSTC criteria as part of its tourism policy during the GSTC 2019 Conference held in the Azores, an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic.
Japan adopted the GSTC destination criteria as it intends to increase the number of international tourists in a sustainable manner.
Toshihiro Katayama, Director for Visitor Experience Improvement, JTA, said JTA plans to turn Japan into a ‘developed sustainable tourism nation’ by making the most of the economic benefits of local communities, benefits of visitors, and that of the environment, and diminishing the negative effects.
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“Through introducing the management of appropriate tourist destinations by utilizing GSTC standards by local governments and DMOs, JTA aims to make Japan a ‘developed sustainable tourism nation’ by maximizing the economic benefits of local communities and the benefits for tourists, communities, cultural resources and the environment, and minimizing the adverse effects,” Katayama said.
In 2020, Japan will introduce a series of training workshops to boost the level of sustainability expertise in the country.
“We applaud JTA for taking this important step to provide clear guidance and structure to their national approach for making tourism continuously more sustainable. After much careful analysis, JTA sees the value in utilizing the universal principles within the GSTC Criteria to help guide their national policies and practices. We are honored to be engaged with them,” Chief Executive Officer, GSTC, Randy Durband, said.
