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.
