Study on the Development of the Tourist Industry in Hokkaido
- The Promotion of Satisfactory Progress as the Main Issue -

The tourist industry is one of the most important industries in Hokkaido with external competitiveness. However, the number of domestic tourists to Hokkaido has decreased in net since the peak of FY1999 and the total number of tourists from outside Hokkaido (including international tourists) is remaining at approximately the same level in recent years. We have concern that domestic demand will decrease further, which would have seriously bad effects not only on the hotel business but also on the entire economy in Hokkaido.

We have studied the basic ideas and concrete measures for strategic tourist promotion.

We have surveyed and weighed the current situation of tourism in Hokkaido and advanced efforts to promote tourism in Japan.

1. (1) The results of surveys for advanced efforts to promote tourism in Japan
   Their target setting or business contents are not innovative, but they succeed in positioning themselves apart from the other regions and attracting more customers. We think the factors in their success are sharing a strong sense of crisis in their region, having clear concepts and strategies, their flexible business activities and regional combined efforts led by the organization of tourism promotion.
2. (2) The suggestion to Hokkaido
   
   1. Sharing a sense of crisis
      The number of domestic overnight tourists in Hokkaido is expected to decrease by about 1.69 million and day-trippers by about 3.95 million in 2017 due to the decrease in demand for domestic travels, but we still don't share enough of a sense of crisis.
   2. The establishment of basic ideas for the strategy of tourism
      In order to solve the challenges the tourist industry in Hokkaido face including the slugging number of tourists from outside Hokkaido and slugging unit prices per tourist, enhancing the satisfaction of tourists need to be a core issue of the strategy of tourism.
      In order to enhance the satisfaction of tourists, the Hokkaido Tourism Organization should play a key role to improve the attraction and the service quality of tourism in Hokkaido in promoting coordination and competitiveness, and carry out their business swiftly and flexibly.
      Fig.2 is the concrete business plan for the satisfaction of tourists. Some of these ideas are difficult to be implemented, but it is important to approach what we can do step by step.
   3. The efforts to carry out their business on a flexible basis
      In order for the Hokkaido Tourism Organization to carry out their business flexibly in response to the social environmental changes, the business plans and budget-making methods as following are needed.

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Fig.1 Image of virtuous circle based on enhancing the satisfaction of tourists as the main issue

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Fig.2 Enhancing the satisfaction of tourists and concrete plans