Tackling overtourism with engaging Travel Quiz Meets across Japan

The “Travel Quiz Meet®” is an innovative event that turns the necessity of manners education into an engaging and entertaining experience, suggesting iteself as an approach to addressing overtourism across Japan. This initiative, pioneered by the Nonprofit Organization Touristship, was first introduced in 2023 in Kyoto’s primary tourist hubs and has since expanded to include locations across the country, including Hokkaido, Okinawa, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nara, and Shiga.

Designed to make educational interactions about local customs and etiquette enjoyable, the event involves setting up temporary quiz stations at popular tourist sites. Here, travelers can participate in quizzes that inform them about local history, customs, and responsible tourism practices—a concept termed “Touristship,” akin to sportsmanship in tourism.

Initially, the event struggled to attract large numbers, drawing only about 20 participants per day in Kyoto. However, through a focused effort to make the sessions more interactive and engaging, participation numbers soared. The event’s organizers have seen a dramatic increase in engagement, with the festival now hosted in 14 different regions and attracting up to 350 participants in a single day. By the end of April 2024, the “Travel Quiz Meet®” celebrated a significant milestone, exceeding 10,000 participants, with ambitions to triple that figure within the year.

The event not only educates tourists about local manners and customs but also acts as a platform for extensive research. Organizers can gather valuable data on tourists’ perceptions and knowledge of local rules, providing insights that can help refine future educational efforts and community interactions.

Moreover, the initiative has garnered positive social impact by involving local citizens as staff, transforming tourists’ perceptions from indifferent visitors to engaged cultural participants. This approach has proven effective in changing behaviors and increasing respect for local customs among both domestic and international visitors.

As “Travel Quiz Meet®” continues to expand, it serves as a model for other tourist-heavy destinations grappling with the challenges of maintaining local culture and decorum in the face of increasing visitor numbers. It stands as a testament to the power of community-driven solutions to global tourism challenges, setting a new standard for how tourist destinations around the world can manage the delicate balance between welcoming visitors and preserving local customs and heritage.