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Sustainable
Tourism in Japan
Sustainable tourism
started after the collapse of the bubble economy with
the “Green Tourism Law” of 1995, supporting local initiatives and the idea of
Sustainability.
However instead
of a fully developed
holistic concept based on definitions by the Brundlandt commission and WTO,
Sustainability is interpreted as a tool to support
the 'Japanese-ness' of the countryside.
“When promoting tourism, it is vital that we avoid
hasty destruction of the natural environment and the creation of commercially
oriented resorts, and that we focus instead on the preservation of the natural
environment and historical heritages. This is what is meant by sustainable
tourism. The first step is to foster regional development through the creation
of comfortable communities that residents can take pride in.”
(KEIDANREN 2000, 2, emphasis added WA)
Rather than
concentrating on the ecological and economical side of the 'sustainability
triangle', local participation and community involvement is seen as a way to
overcome the problem of depopulation of the countryside with the help of
tourism. The interest of the environment as a stakeholder per se is ignored,
human interaction and pride are the important elements of sustainable tourism.
As benchmark for
Sustainable Tourism, Yufuin (Kyushu) is often cited.
New forms of tourism like Industrial Heritage tourism
do, however, not find acceptance yet.
Ecotourism, visits to National Parks and
similar activities take place either overseas or only in eventisized form, given the
preference for manipulated nature over the search for authenticity in pristine
forests.
Small wonder then, that the Japanese National Ecotourism Organisation
is a One-woman-organisation started and financed by JTB and the Infrastructure Ministry.
Contact: wolfgang.arlt@fh-stralsund.de
Tel. +49 (3831) 456 961
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