On 10 September the Japan National Tourism Organization held the Japan Tourism Seminar 2013 in Sydney. Assistant Director Hirasawa gave a presentation on tourism in Hiroshima, while Assistant Directors Okuno and Hakuta assisted the visiting staff from Toyama Prefecture, Nanto City and Takayama City in running their booth.
In her presentation on Hiroshima, Hirasawa explained that there are not only two famous World Heritage sites but also an abundance of sightseeing spots all around the Hiroshima prefecture, aiming at increasing the length of tourists’ stay in Hiroshima. Cycling the Shimanami Kaido (Onomichi city) and sake tasting at sake breweries in Saijo (Higashihiroshima city) were the sightseeing activities that attracted the Australian attendees’ interest the most. Staff members from Toyama Prefecture, Nanto City and Takayama City promoted their regions through presentations, hoping to increase the number of visitors form Australia. They talked about many tourist attractions such as Toyama’s seafood, a traditional tourism route called The Samurai Route and the English tours available in their areas. They also promoted their preparedness in welcoming foreign tourists.
The attendees were mainly from tourism companies or the media, however there were some exceptions – one of whom a food writer who admired the Japanese regional cuisines. Once the presentations were over, the attendees walked over to the booths to gain more details about the presented activities or sightseeing sites.
