Summary and Reports from Sectional Workshops
｡?irono
I see that many of you are very committed and very active in your respective fields; operating an art museum, or running a theme park, for example. However, it's my feeling that what's missing in Shiga Prefecture as a whole is a network of committed people like yourselves. This workshop has prompted me to think about the need for a major network of people who are working hard on community development and tourism promotion.
｡?aeda
My discussion today was about creating tourist sites which view community resources in a new light, and which work to preserve and nurture them.
I now know that the tourism volunteer guides are very committed to their work, in which they properly reflect the region's historical context, as well as the cultural heritage of the actual tourism resources.
But the problem is that, as long as tourism remains in its current "transit-style" state, there simply isn't the time to share with visitors the good qualities of your tourism assets
｡?akasaki
Firstly, this workshop brought a new realization that, Shiga Prefecture's "transit prefecture" status notwithstanding, the fact is that there are actual people coming here. An opinion voiced at this workshop was that with a little more effort, Shiga might be able to increase its visitors. Throughout the discussions I was asking myself, "What Is authenticity? " The feeling I got was that the important thing in developing a tourist site is for tourism to progress at a steady and moderate pace, to continue far into the future.
｡?do
Thank you all very much.
I'd just like to share one thing with you in relation to tourism in Shiga. Every fall, at Shiga University of Medical Science where I work, the freshmen are required to submit an essay titled "Impressions of Shiga." I'd like to present a typical excerpt：
Student A： "My home prefecture is Fukui, and I've passed through Shiga many times on the train to Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka. But I'd never taken any time to visit here before. Shiga Prefecture is a transit prefecture."
Student B (female student residing in Kyoto)： "Shiga Prefecture is blessed with a wonderful natural environment, including Lake Biwa and the Hira Mountains. And it's a place where one can, in very ordinary rural settings, come across magnificent temples and festivals full of local character.
But so far it hasn't been advertised in a big way. Shiga Prefecture can be likened to an unpretentious maiden, with simple grace and purity, beautiful just the way she is." I'd say this is a very astute observation !
I believe one can truly experience travel only by staying overnight. It's that sense of having come to a different land; therein lies the real enjoyment of travel . I think one of the pleasures of travel is coming into some kind of contact with the lives of those who live there.
Thank you very much.
