Experience in sustainable tourism development in Yufuin

On August 20, 2012, Prof. Seiji Yoneda (Ehime University - Japan) gave a presentation and shared experiences on sustainable community tourism development with lecturers, students, and trainees of the Faculty of Tourism Studies - University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and representatives of the General Department of Tourism. Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa - Vice Principal of the University - received Prof. Seiji Yoneda and attended the presentation.Prof. Seiji Yoneda shared his experience in developing sustainable community tourism through practical research in the Yufuin region of Japan. The professor said that in Japan, the relationship between regional development and sustainable community tourism development is most important based on community awareness. The professor also pointed out a two-sided approach to tourism: tourists and the locality receiving tourists. The model of sustainable community tourism development in Yufuin is implemented according to the method that is widely applied in Japan today, which is that the local community itself will propose a sustainable tourism development model and implement it. Different from the tourism development model 10 years ago in Japan: the central government makes plans and the locality implements them. Research by Prof. Seiji Yoneda said that the Yufuin region of Japan welcomes about 3.8 million tourists each year, of which about 900,000 are staying guests and 70% are second-time visitors, nearly 10% are visitors more than 10 times. Thanks to a number of community activities associated with tourism, the Yufuin region has attracted and appealed to tourists such as: the Yufuin film festival, the autumn shouting contest, the restoration and development of traditional handicrafts, Yufuin-branded souvenirs are products closely related to daily life... A very notable point is that local people, even children, are directly trained to become tour guides. Through research on the sustainable tourism development model in Yufuin, Prof. Seiji Yoneda pointed out lessons learned on sustainable community tourism development: should not develop too widely, need certain control; The resources themselves that the local community finds normal but are actually potential for exploitation in sustainable tourism development; community awareness is very important for sustainable tourism development; the spirit of cooperation between individuals in the community. At the end of the presentation, the Professor emphasized that sustainable community tourism development must be such that "traveling feels like living at home and vice versa, the local community also feels like traveling". Vice Principal Tran Thi Minh Hoa thanked Professor Seiji Yoneda for sharing many useful and valuable experiences on the issue of sustainable community tourism development. The Vice Principal emphasized that these will be very necessary lessons for community tourism development in Vietnam and expressed hope that in the future, the two sides will move towards more comprehensive cooperation in this field of research.