Nihon Travel Co., Ltd. Held “Tourism and Town Development Symposium with High School Students – Exchange Project Based on Everyday Life in Okayama”

【Nippon Travel Co., Ltd.】 “Tourism and town development symposium with high school students ~Exchange project based on daily life in Okayama~” held ​ Nippon Travel Co., Ltd. Press release: October 31, 2024 “Tourism and town development symposium with high school students – Exchange project based on daily life in Okayama” held The future of Okayama tourism drawn by high school students.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/4858/880/4858-880-b1331432b61eac548f1fb802218074b1-1889×812.png

The Okayama Prefecture Regional Issue-Solving Educational Tour Attraction Project Executive Committee, consisting of Nippon Travel Co., Ltd., West Japan Railway Company, Okayama Prefecture, and the Okayama Prefecture Tourism Federation, will conduct a two-day project from November 23rd to 24th, 2024. , We will be holding a “Symposium on Tourism and Town Development with High School Students – An Exchange Project Based on Everyday Life in Okayama”. In conjunction with the Forest Art Festival held in Okayama, the Land of Sunshine, high school students from Okayama Prefecture have developed an educational travel program to promote the charm of the region. This symposium is an opportunity to introduce the program to high school students from all over the country and tourism businesses in Okayama Prefecture. Many tourists and students on school trips visit Okayama Prefecture, but most of them are concentrated in the southern areas of the prefecture, such as Setouchi and Kurashiki. However, the northern part of the prefecture also has a long history and rich nature, and the Izumo Highway connecting Yamato and Izumo once ran from east to west, and the area prospered as a castle town and post town. In this area, traditional architecture and crafts cultivated over a long history are still alive and well, and there are industries that take advantage of them. Northern Okayama Prefecture is a tourist destination with many unknown attractions. Modern tourism requires a perspective on how it can contribute to the region. High school students in Okayama Prefecture have been exploring the true charm of the northern part of the prefecture from a new perspective through classes on attracting tourism. At the “Tourism Town Development Symposium for High School Students”, we will communicate with high school students from all over the country about the appeal of northern Okayama Prefecture that makes them want to visit. High school students and school personnel from all over the country are invited to this symposium, and the school that will be traveling and the local community hosting the trip will learn about the social issues in the destination region and share ideas and knowledge that can lead to solutions. By collaborating and sharing ideas, we will explore new styles of educational travel that will also lead to regional sustainability. By promoting this initiative, we aim to promote “Okayama Prefecture” to the nation as a new educational travel destination that can promote interaction between schools and the local community. • Event overview 1. Name Forest Art Festival “Land of Sunshine Okayama” Collaborative Program Tourism town development symposium with high school students ~Exchange project based on daily life in Okayama~ 2. Date and time Saturday, November 23, 2024 Symposium 13:30-17:30 (Doors open 13:00) Sunday, November 24, 2024 Excursion 9:00-15:00 3. Venue 11/23 Mimasaka University (Symposium) 11/24 Hiruzen area/Tsuyama/Nagi area
(excursion) 4. Sponsored Okayama Prefecture Regional Problem-Solving Educational Tour Attraction Project Executive Committee 5. Sponsored West Japan Railway Company, Nippon Travel Co., Ltd. 6. Sponsored Okayama Prefectural Board of Education, Tsuyama City, Maniwa City 7.Official website https://www.2024-okayamasymposium.com/ ▼ Who can participate in the symposium Approximately 150 people from
tourism-related businesses, local government officials, high school and university students who are enthusiastic about exploration activities, people with a strong interest in sustainability, and education personnel (tourism human resource development) ▼
Participating schools from Okayama Prefecture Tsuyama Commercial High School, Okayama Higashi Commercial High School ▼ 10 participating schools invited from all over the country [Osaka Prefecture] Waseda Setsuryo High School, Kwansei Gakuin Senri International High School, Josho Gakuen High School [Hyogo Prefecture] Hibarigaoka Gakuen High School [Hiroshima Prefecture] Kinki University Hiroshima High School Higashihiroshima Campus [Tokyo] Tokyo Joshi Gakuin High School, Bunkyo Gakuin University Girls’ High School [Kanagawa] Yamate Gakuin High School, Kanto Gakuin High School [Niigata Prefecture] Niigata Prefectural Shibata High School DAY1｜Symposium At this symposium, high school students from Okayama Prefecture will explore regional resources and communicate their appeal to high school students across the country through “peer-generation exchange” where they will discuss the charms of each other’s regions and consider the future form of tourism. 13:30-13:50 Opening remarks ・ Greetings from the organizer Executive Committee Chairman: Keigo Yoshida, Managing Director of Nippon Travel Co., Ltd. ・Greetings from the guest Mr. Kazuo Kasahara, Vice Governor of Okayama Prefecture ・Welcome speech Masahiro Asai, Vice Branch Manager, Okayama Branch, West Japan Railway Company 13:50-14:00 About the Okayama Prefecture Regional Problem-Solving Educational Tour Attraction Project (Nippon Travel) 14:00-14:30 What we think about the future of northern Okayama Prefecture (High school students from Okayama Prefecture) 14:15-16:30 Discussions with high school students from Okayama Prefecture and across the country (faculty and staff discussions held simultaneously) 16:45-17:20 Discussion content presentation by high school students 17:20-17:30 Closing remarks DAY2｜Excursion *Please refer to the [Attachment] excursion schedule. We will implement an educational travel program developed in collaboration with local businesses and high school students from Okayama Prefecture who have studied tourism business.