FEASIBILITY AND ISSUES OF RURAL TOURISM BASED ON INTER-INDUSTRY COOPERATION

Abstract

The study described herein was conducted to identify general aspects of rural tourism based on the Inter-Industrial Cooperation Project in Japan and to investigate factors and background obstacles to sustainable development of rural tourism management through collaborative organization of various actors. Most approved projects are engaged in producing and marketing local specialty goods. The numerous projects aiming at initiating tourism activities are extremely small. Some approved projects targeting tourism management have already been abandoned.  The authors conducted interview surveys to elucidate some typical cases, which elicited the following points about hindrances to sustainable development of rural tourism management based on the Inter-Industrial Cooperation Project: difficulty of maintaining collaborative networks among actors of various types; unexpected tourism-related risks; vulnerability to demands of tourism industry; and the mismatch between the system of national projects and needs for the practice of tourism activities. Results of two case studies underscored these obstacles. The authors finally described the role played by actors outside the rural village and local government officers for improving future collaboration projects.