Travel, Enjoy, Respect - Learning & promoting sustainable tourism locally and globally

International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

The United Nations designates a special theme each year to promote issues associated with peace, security, development and human rights. 2017 is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development that promotes tourism’s role in sustainable development. With over 1.2 billion people travelling internationally every year, tourism clearly brings economic benefits as well as intercultural understanding, and awareness of diversity and the need for peace. Issues such as protection of culture and heritage, environmental conservation and working conditions present challenges, and this gives the promotion of sustainable tourism an urgent agenda.

The Year will promote tourism’s role in five key areas:

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth;
Social inclusiveness, employment creation and poverty reduction;
Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change;
Cultural values, diversity and heritage; and
Mutual understanding, peace and security.

As an UNWTO Affiliate member, in agreement and in the spirit of the 2017 theme, we will promote this year through a range of activities at the Faculty of Tourism, including course subjects, fieldwork, research, seminars, and events. These activities are listed as part of the Year’s event program at the website.

Learning and research activities at Faculty of Tourism, Wakayama University

* Activities to be added as they develop.

Course subjects

№	Items	Points meeting YSTD	?
1	Sustainability & Management	Various strategies for local communities to engage in sustainable tourism will be examined, referring to various sustainable tourism indicators and conducting fieldwork in the Kumano region.	Prof. Graham Miller / Prof. Kumi Kato
2	Tourism & Environment A	17 SDGs will be examined in detail and applied to specific tourism contexts.	Prof. Kumi Kato
3	Heritage Tourism	Slow tourism as a mode of sustainable tourism will be defined using ‘walking tourism’, focusing on local community engagement while creating minimum impact.	Prof. Kumi Kato
4	Nadeshiko: Society for Japanese traditional cultural practices (self-directed learning)	Understanding of “Cultural values, diversity and heritage” will be promoted through Japanese traditional cultural practices of tea ceremony, kimono and seasonal festivities.	Prof. Keiko Takehana
5	Ocean resources and tourism along Wakayama Coastal areas (Project-based learning)	Understanding of “Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change” will be promoted through tourism activities utilizing ocean resources.	Prof. Hajime Takebayashi
6	Tourism and the Earth	“Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change” and the principles of the earth science fundamental to SDGs 11-15 will be examined.	Assoc.Prof. Takashi nakakushi
7	Tourism and Urban-Rural interaction	Green tourism that promotes urban-rural interaction will be examined as one form of new tourism, contrasting to the mass consumption/production model, focusing on its role in promoting sustainable development of the community and the region.	Prof. Takehiro Fujita
8	Tourism and the Environment	This class supports the UNWTO’s aim #2 to encourage environmental protection and to develop informed responses to climate change by asking, how or even if does tourism growth and development encourages social, cultural and economic sustainability? This course aims to address this question by increasing students’ knowledge and understanding of the complex relationship between tourism, development and the environment and is designed to develop the student’s critical and creative thinking skills in the sustainable tourism context.	Dr. Adam Doering
9	Community-Based Tourism	Community-Based Tourism (CBT) describes a bottom-up approach to tourism planning and community development, particularly in small rural destinations. Planning CBT involves local participation and a wild range of tourism stakeholders, together with financial incentives and employment. Therefore, CBT aims to achieve three dimensions of sustainability; economy, society, and environment, which cover the 17 SDGs.	Dr. Amnaj Khaokhrueamuang

Local Internship Program (LIP) / Fieldwork

№	Items	Points meeting YSTD	?
1	Wakayama Park Zoo – its role in tourism and sustainable use of natural resources	Urban environmental conservation and biodiversity protection will be examined through the case of Wakayama Park ZOO, referring to SDG 15 Life on Land	Prof. kumi Kato / Ms. Chiharu Goto
2	“Mirror Effect” of Urban-Rural Interaction aiming for revitalisation of rural regions: Farm-based Working Holiday Program	Sustainable regional development is examined through the case of Farm-based Working Holiday Program that involves an urban-rural interaction showing benefits such as building of social capital by raising mutual awareness (Mirror Effects).	Prof. Takehiro Fujita
3	Activity for Project(En)	In the Activity for Project’ class for second year undergraduate students, we conduct a fieldwork at the World Heritage (Cultural) Site of Shirakawa Village in order to learn about aspects of ‘Experience-based Tourism’, and reflect on ways to make tourism more sustainable for such sites. During the fieldwork, students interview local residents, tourism planners and tourists to learn about the recent cultural transition, change of the natural environment and tourism related developments in this area. Students then reflect on their fieldwork experience and use key readings to formulate their own proposals for sustainable tourism pathways and challenges for World Heritage Sites. As for IYSTD, the class relates to #4 cultural values, diversity and heritage, as well as to #3 resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change.	Dr. Abhik Chakraborty
4	Marine Sports Tourism and Community Development	The Miyazaki marine sports LIP meets #1 and #4 of the key areas emphasized by the UNWTO. The Miyazaki LIP asks students to design a project using surf tourism development to encourage economic growth in the rural seaside communities. Understanding surfing as an integral part of modern Japanese beach culture, the program also seeks to expand the definition of Japanese culture more generally. By doing so we explore how Japanese surf culture can be employed to encourage sustainable seaside tourism development for future generations.	Dr. Adam Doering

Student Research projects (3rd & 4th year, Undergraduate)

№	Items	Points meeting YSTD	?
1	New perspectives in cultural experience-based tourism in a sacred site Koyasan and the ancient capital Kyoto	Understanding of “Cultural values, diversity and heritage” will be promoted through fieldwork in globally renowned destinations such as Koyasan and Kyoto.	Prof. Keiko Takehana

Research

№	Items	Points meeting YSTD	?
1	Sustainable regional development based on the recovering of spiritual heritage: Art and tourism connecting the region and the world (Mitsui Environmental Foundation)	Role of art and tourism is examined in the post-disaster reconstruction process in Fukushima	Prof. Keiko Takehana
2	Tourism Generating Hope(JSPS Kakenhi)	Role of tourism in poverty alleviation is examined from youth empowerment perspectives in developing nations.	Prof. Kumi Kato
3	Towards Effective Nature Conservation through Ecotourism in World Heritage Areas	This research centers on the Shiretoko Peninsula World Heritage (Natural) Site and explores the potential of conservation-oriented ecotourism as a potential stewardship option for the natural heritage protection of the area. The project relates to #3 resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change of the IYSTD. The research aims to create new knowledge and values for the protection of biodiversity and natural environment both by identifying challenges for sustainable ecotourism and by exploring possible solution pathways.	Dr. Abhik Chakraborty
4	Sustainable Green Tourism Development in the Tea Cultivated Communities of Thailand and Japan	This research project aims to propose strategy guidelines on sustaining tea products and green tourism in the Japanese Yamato tea cultivated communities of Tawara in Nara Prefecture and one of the Thai’s Miang tea growing areas in Chiang Rai Province, Huey Nam Guen village. The 17SDGs will be examined through the strategic guidelines from tea producers and tourism stakeholders.	Dr. Amnaj Khaokhrueamuang

Events

№	Items	Points meeting YSTD	?
1	World Tourism Day Event 2017 Panel display “Learning Sustainable Tourism – PATA Wakayama University Student Chapter went to study tours”	The aim is for students to think and learn about sustainability and sustainable tourism through holding the panel display for the World Tourism Day set by UNWTO.	Internationalization Committee, Faculty of Tourism
2	Sustainable Agritourism Workshop: Tourism & Sufficiency Economy	Sufficiency Economy (SE) is a moderating philosophy in line with the forces of globalization, which comprises three elements (moderation, reasonableness, and self-immunity) and requires two conditions: knowledge and integrity. SE uses for Thailand’s sustainable development strategy proposed by His Majesty King Bhumibal Adulyadej. It aims to reduce poverty and hunger, make good health and well-being, sustain natural resources and economic growth, and against impacts from globalization. This workshop offers participants to learn how this principle can apply to agriculture and tourism business.	Dr. Amnaj Khaokhrueamuang

Seminars

№	Items	Points meeting YSTD	?
1	Sea, surf and sustainability: tourism, community and sustainable regional development	Bringing together university researchers, industry professionals, and community members the Sport Tourism and Sustainability Units will host a seminar in Chiba, Japan that contributes to SDG 14 "Conserving marine and ocean resources for sustainable development and using it in a sustainable manner". The seminar will explore how water sport activities and connections though sports like surfing can help aid in the sustainable development of the ocean and Japanese seaside communities. This contributes oto key theme #1 and #3.	Dr. Adam Doering
2	"Sport Mega-Events change Japanese society" Vol.1 of Tourism Education and Research Seminar 2017 in Tokyo	Sport is recognized as an important enabler of sustainable development through realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives in the Article 37 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Fostering understanding of Sport Mega-Events such as Tokyo 2020 Games and Sport Tourism for making the most of its legacy will help realize the SDGs.	P.R. Committee for the Faculty of Tourism and the Center for Tourism Research

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