This lecture (in English) will be held Thursday May25 at 7:00 at Lakeland University in Ryogoku, Tokyo. It will also be streamed via Zoom.

"Travel for Change. Change for Travel; How can the travel industry serve as a driving force for social change in Japan?" presented by Ally Hongo

In 2019, the year before the global pandemic halted international travel, Japan witnessed a record high of 31.88 million inbound travelers. In the same year, tourism contributed 359 billion USD to Japan's GDP, making it the world's third-largest tourism market after the United States and China. Japan's omotenashi service and fantastic natural resources made the headlines in travel magazines and media outlets across the world, placing Japan on most travelers' lists. But are these figures sufficient to call Japan's tourism a success?

 

The Japan Travel Awards, an initiative to promote inclusion and diversity in Japan's travel sector, argues that this is only the beginning of a fundamental achievement. The travel industry has the potential, and the responsibility, to transform societies and set global standards that benefit all. Could Japan be the trendsetter for inclusive travel? This lecture explores the possibilities and means of how Japan's tourism can serve as a driving force for social change.

 

Ally Hongo is a writer, editor, and co-founder of Shiitake Creative, a Tokyo-based creative agency. In 2020, Shiitake Creative launched the Japan Travel Awards, an initiative to inspire inclusion, diversity, and sustainability in Japan's travel industry. Ally's work has been featured in BBC, NHK, The Japan Times, Japan Today, and other international publications. 

-To attend the event in person, there is no need to register. For a map and directions to Lakeland's Ryogoku campus, see our website: https://luj.lakeland.edu/contact

--To join on Zoom, please register here (before 5PM on the day of the event). You will be emailed a link that afternoon

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Qt3It5DngySwDlieoFgsyDutEPS2O6W9ZabaGsrPefc/edit

--
Roger Grabowski, Jr.
Assistant Professor of General Studies
Lakeland University Japan