Destination Development Conferences
These conferences are created by the public and private sectors between both of tourist receiving and tourist sending elements of the tourism industry. They were established at the request from tourism-oriented communities, with the aim of boosting tourism demand in their areas. The themes discussed include the development of tourism products utilizing unique tourist resources, promotional activities, and measures to enhance tourism during off-seasons. The first conference was established in September 1994 in Okinawa, and the result was the highly successful Great Ryukyu Kingdom Festival held in October 1995 in such places as Shurijo Castle, featuring folklore and art from various parts of Okinawa prefecture. The conference has since been established in Gifu / Siga, Yamagata, Hanshin / Awaji region, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki. Similar conferences will be established and convened on request by local communities.
Travel Fair
The Travel Fair is a general tourism exhibition showcasing displays and performances proposing new domestic travel opportunities, disseminating / exchanging comprehensive information about traveling, and advertising the fascination of traveling in general. The Fair is organized through cooperation between local governments where tourists are received and the travel industry which sends out tourists, with the aim of revitalizing local communities by promoting domestic travel and increasing the number of people involved in tourism-related exchange. In 1997, the Fair was held at Intex Osaka for five days starting May 9, drawing approximately 180,000 visitors. The previous two fairs were held in the Tokyo metropolitan area, but the 1997 fair was moved to the Kansai Region to expand the campaign to boost domestic travel into a nationwide movement. The 1998 Fair was held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, suburb of Tokyo with the theme of multi-media and tourism. It attracted a record 240,000 visitors.
