Q: What measures has IMTA taken to promote regional cooperation in mountain tourism? How do you think IMTA has strengthened exchanges with international markets such as Japan?
A: Well, first of all, IMTA is an organization that started in 2017. And I, since 2015 before that, have had a long relationship with Guizhou. There are various charms of Guizhou. With the idea of expanding these charms to the Japanese market and even the world in mind, let me share a bit. IMTA has completed one cycle of five years. At that time, IMTA had its so-called fixed ideas, or principles, and basic policies, which it carried forward to create something truly wonderful. The second phase is set to start from 2024. In this second phase, IMTA's principles include nature conservation and environmental protection, as well as development within the so-called regional economy, and the development of the tourism industry. It has very big goals. As I mentioned earlier, I've had the pleasure of working with Guizhou for over a decade. Firstly, Guizhou is not just a tourism resource; it's also a place where the world is seeking new industries, such as the digital industry, education, and various other fields. In addition to its natural tourism resources, Guizhou has unique tourism attractions that are unmatched in the world. IMTA, as you know, is similar to the UNWTO, the United Nations tourism organization. Its goals are to revitalize regions and promote friendly exchanges with foreign countries through tourism, thereby creating a prosperous society. It's a major UN tourism alliance organization dedicated to the development of the tourism industry. In the future, the tourism industry will primarily seek what IMTA is incorporating, which is nature conservation and environmental protection, along with social issues. Adding these elements will shape the future of tourism. Another point is that IT is now the center of the travel industry. IT is used to sell tourism products. I believe that in the future, with digitalization and digital transformation, the tourism industry will undergo significant changes. Therefore, combining nature tourism and protection with digital elements will be crucial for the future of the tourism industry. So, by adding the functions of the UNWTO to these, the tourism industry must develop and move forward with these elements in the future.
Q: In terms of comprehensive policies, what experience do you have in more effectively promoting the optimization and innovation of the tourism industry?
A: I haven't delved into that yet. I mentioned the future of the tourism industry earlier, and when I say "future," I'm thinking even further ahead, like space tourism. There are elements like the world's largest radio telescope in Guizhou, and digital technology. Acknowledging these, creating new fields is one function. Another is how to make the travel industry more efficient and larger. Actually, I was the CEO of a Japan-China specialized travel agency for 11 years. Before that, I was in logistics. I worked at a logistic company, dealing with supply chains, reverse supply chains, and logistics efficiency, as well as business efficiency and economic maximization. Logistics plays a crucial role in the integrated process from production to sales. In digital supply chain management policies, integrated policies rationalize and maximize economic development. As an expert in this field, I've worked in various countries including Japan, the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, and I've lived in China for ten years, in Beijing. I've been involved in Chinese logistics for a long time. During this time, I've gained experience in total rationalization and thorough rationalization. Another aspect is product development and sales, or in tourism, tourism resource development. This involves developing tourism resources based on market demands and trends. From an economic perspective, it's important to proceed rationally, starting with resource development and natural development, then product creation, and finally distributing these products in the travel industry or related industries, ultimately selling travel products. From resource development to sales, this integration requires a comprehensive policy to achieve efficiency. It's the same concept as in logistics supply chains, and it will be important for the future of the travel industry. For example, when developing tourism, we create products based on natural and cultural elements. The most important thing at that time is market trends and demands. We must accurately capture market demands to develop products and resources. We need to understand these situations and proceed accordingly, or it will be difficult. Currently, I'm working with the Guizhou Provincial Culture and Tourism Department and IMTA. So, to reiterate, from resource development to sales, we need to integrate various fields and develop based on market trends and demands, supported by digital technology. Just like supply chains and reverse supply chains, where stores use systems to track sales and adjust production accordingly, we need a similar integrated and comprehensive policy in tourism. By quickly providing what the market demands, we can maximize economics and cash flow. I feel that the travel industry will undergo significant changes in this way.
Q: As the long-time Japanese representative of the Guizhou Tourism Center, what market changes have you observed? How do you think high-quality tourism development can be promoted in Guizhou Province?
A: To repeat what I said earlier, I haven't fully fulfilled my role as the CEO of a general tourism company. What makes Guizhou attractive to people, and what can be promoted, varies by region and content. When I joined the Japan Tourism Center in 2011, I've been working there since then. At that time, infrastructure development had just started, and there was nothing else. First, infrastructure development began. Secondly, the digital industry emerged in 2015. With the development of the digital industry, combined with education and talent cultivation, I witnessed Guizhou's planned economic development. At that time, I focused on tourism, of course, including ethnic minority tourism and natural tourism. In addition, there's the digital industry and education industry. We need to integrate these through comprehensive policies. As I mentioned earlier, tourism attracts people, and if there are advantages in fields like digital technology, relevant groups and experts will come. By educating them, exchanges will begin. This is all part of an integrated policy. I've been working in Guizhou for a long time. Taking Jiuzhaigou as an example, how can we appeal to the market? Travel agents are working hard to sell, and internet companies and influencers are doing their best. But there are limits to this. The reason for these limits is that the market, the receivers, already know the information. They know the travel costs and other details from various internet sources. Guizhou is different. Guizhou has its own functions and can attract attention within the industry. By working together on this, our customers become our promoters. For example, with big data, many related industries have come from Japan. When these people return to Japan, they become our promoters. For instance, in education, we have experts in data analysis working with us, and over a hundred universities in Japan are involved in education. Along with this, there are university exchanges and various government and industry collaborations. By targeting these groups, who are our customers, we can expand through them. Guizhou has been featured on television a lot. Information from television is very impactful. This is the third point. Lastly, I want to say that I haven't seen many regions with such a combination of key elements and functions. Guizhou is just starting out, and by creating various policy mechanisms, it can further expand. Guizhou combines a natural environment with modernized human life, and I believe it can become a model for the world. I highly anticipate Guizhou's future in the next ten years.
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
