Recently, the development of the tourism industry has been considered as one of the major national issues in Japan. The government and industry have been cooperating in various measures such as the Visit Japan Campaign to expand the inbound market. Development of new styles of tour plans/products and collaboration between tourism resources and transportation modes are a new movement in the industry.

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It is true that the current economic difficulty produces a negative impact on the tourism business. The question of how to overcome such a difficult situation and to energize the tourism industry is a common issue between the U.S. and Japan.

 

At the same time, it is important to grasp exactly what attractions and tourism resources are fascinating to foreign tourists and translate such information into successful business schemes. In Japan’s case, in addition to traditional historical and cultural sightseeing spots, recently pop-culture and visual-arts attract attention especially among young generations, which can be a new market to be explored.

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In this seminar, we will study the recent developments in the tourism industry in both the U.S. and Japan, explore the ways of developing the tourism business, and discuss ways of strengthening mutual communication between the two countries.