Reflection at Tourism EXPO 2023: State of Japan tourism sustainability Part 1

Each day there is good news about work done surrounding sustainability, especially in the roles of renewables, material circulation, decarbonization. But it is also true the planet is in a more dangerous situation than it had been in history, as climate scientists have reminded us, with record extremes in 20 out of 35 aspects. Authorities are taking action against precocious youths who seemingly are the only ones raising people’s attention to the dire situation.

Travel is a touchy subject to speak in this climate (pun must be intended). On one hand, we know that airplane travel is the most polluting aspect in traveling. With the recent huge increase in travel to Japan and sustainable aviation fuel still in development stages, it is difficult to find justification for the mass carbon emissions from mass travel.

But travel has merit. For one, tourism can generate income, especially if these funds are directed to regenerative environmental projects or local communities. For example, Kyoto City has a high dependence on tourism, with one and five in tourism-related employment, and accounts for 12.8% of the city’s income.

We do see a trend that the most sustainable travel center themselves around social good more than environmental good. Not only because they support local communities, they are low hanging fruits too make themselves look sustainable. But that is not always the case. Over tourism is a problem in various cities around the world, much to the despair of their citizens.

Growing interest in certifying sustainability

The SDGs section was one of the reasons why we made a trip to Osaka’s Tourism Expo 2023. The expo will give us a sense of how sustainable the current industry is in Japan, and hopefully reveal to us any interesting activities.

Unfortunately, the booths were given a quiet corner away from the crowd. Though the event boasts a crowd of slightly less than 150,000, it is a wonder how many had visited the organizations that paid to set up at the SDGs section.

Nevertheless, we met passionate individuals who believed in creating change for sustainable tourism in Japan. For example, JARTA (Japan Alliance of Responsible Travel Agencies) established in 2017 as a not-for-profit trade association, specializing in delivering unique local experiences and emphasizing strong connections with customers and local communities. Ushio Tsukie, Assistant Secretary General of JARTA, shared how she saw a start in interest for sustainable tourism. While the start is slow and Japan is behind in the trends for sustainable tourism, there is a growing number realizing the merits of making a sustainable shift.

This was the same reflection from Aoki Masao, Representative Director of JaSCA (Japan Sustainability Coordinator Association). He shared that even though understanding of sustainability tourism is still in its infant stages across Japan, there is definitely interest from partners. There is also an increase in Green Key (evaluates and verifies the environmental policies and sustainable operations of accommodations) and Blue Flag (certifying sustainable development of beaches and marina spots) locations.

Okinawa, the sea and sustainability

Another organization we spoke to was the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau. Fans of Okinawa would be glad to see the numerous sustainable efforts that are being taken across the islands.

We learnt about Okinawa’s SDGs Action Plan. Even islands like Miyakojima has derived its own sustainable tourism guideline. It’s easy to imagine their motivation, when the Okinawan islands are surrounded by the most beautiful seas, inspiring the people to want to protect them.

We saw a number of programs that Okinawa offered for sustainable tourism. For example, the Blue Carbon Cruise on Churajima is a cruise tour with a glass floor on the ship to view the shallow sea floor. However, it comes with a twist: the staff displays the real time sequestration by the sea vegetation, allowing tourists to feel the direct impact of blue carbon as a key climate crisis solution.

Other Okinawan sustainability efforts include the revitalization of fireflies in kumitoshi, where they organize a program where visitors use akachi from the river to cook and learn about revitalization efforts. Another commendable activity allows visitors to get directly involved in coral revitalization.

(Our report continues in Part II!)