Developing Osaka City into a global visitor destination

• Designed to promote the urban development of Osaka City based on a new concept
• Aiming to develop the city into a community that attracts people, goods and information from all over Japan and the world; and where new industries and culture are created

Considered Factors for the City's New Development Measures

• Recognition of a change in the structure of the city's industries, which currently centers on heavy, large-scale industries, is intended;
• Existence of a variety of urban-type tourist resources;
• Existence of a large-scale visitor industry;
• A significant number of visitors can encourage consumption and increase employment in the city;
• Economic effects of activation of related industries and employment increase caused by communication with visitors; and
• An increased number of visitors can contribute to improving the public relations and the recognition of Osaka City

The development of visitor-oriented facilities ("hardware measures") is almost completed as new attractions including Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Osaka Dome, and Osaka Museum of History have been opened, and Universal Studios Japan, which serves as the city's main attraction for visitors, has been successfully operating since its recent opening.


World's Trend in Tourism

• Transition towards a tourist nation
• Increasing leisure-oriented demand due to the maturity of the society
• Recognition of urban tourism as the industry's major trend in the 21st century
• Tourism "Big Bang" / Asian boom
• A global competition between cities

Current Analysis and Future Issues

Tourism trend research data as of the year 2001 (interim estimate)

• The number of tourist visitors significantly increased as it was triggered by the opening of Universal Studios Japan --> 109.16 million (11 percent increase)
  The number of staying visitors --> 10.18 million (32 percent increase)
  [the percentage shown in parentheses indicates the increase from the previous year]

Future issue

• An increase in the number of staying visitors, who can bring high economic effects to the city, shall be intended --> the number of the staying visitors, although it increased dramatically during the researched period, still composes only less than 10 percent of the total number of the tourist visitors. The average length of their stay also remains 1.7 nights.

Future strategy

• By improving attractiveness and visitor support systems, the city continues to develop itself into a visitor-friendly city, where even first-time visitors can easily get around.

<Policy for future development>
Promotion of visit-and-stay tourists

• Advancing the development of attractive, visitor-friendly features of the city that appeal to visitors, including first-timers
• Effectively using the existing visitor-oriented facilities ("hardware measures") and the accumulation of history and culture to enhance the visitor-oriented systems ("software measures") from the visitors' point of view and also to prepare an environment in which visitors can broadly enjoy the uniqueness of the Osaka's attractions
  
  A plan of action for the next five years to advance the development of the city into a global visitor destination in an organized, effective manner

Culture and Visitor Action Plan

I. Improvement of the attractiveness of the city
II. Improvement of the visitor-friendliness of the city
III. Advancement of marketing and promotional activities
IV. Development of programs to encourage visit-and-stay tourists
V. Education of human resources and creation of hospitalities to support the city as a global visitor destination
VI. Reinforcement of systems to advance the development


Important Framework of the Action Plan

i. Improvement of the attractiveness of the city

• Creation of the attractiveness in the core of the city (Osakajo-Naniwanomiya New Century Development Concept)
• Development of the attractiveness by areas
• Development of an environment for artistic and creative activities
• Organization of attractive events, international conferences and international sport competitions
• Establishment of an environment that encourages communications among athletes from all over the world
  etc.

i. Improvement of the visitor-friendliness of the city

• Provision of tourist information / reinforcement of guidance functions for visitors
• Concentrative streetscape makeovers in vicinities of tourist spots
• Improvement of the conveniences for visitors and the accessibility to the city
  etc.

i. Advancement of marketing and promotion activities

• Reinforcement of promotions, public relations activities and urban marketing
• Advancement of the promotional activities to invite conventions and incentive tours to the city
  etc.

i. Development of programs to encourage visit-and-stay tourists

• Development of programs that allow visitors to experience an urban-type tourism
• Establishment of systems that encourage visitors to stay and travel around in the city
  etc.

i. Education of human resources and creation of hospitalities to support the city as a global visitor destination

• Education and increase of tour volunteers
• Establishment of systems that improve tour guidance functions at shops, restaurants, and other local facilities
• Promotion to invite tourism-related or art-related colleges and universities
  etc.

i. Reinforcement of systems to advance the development

• Establishment of the strong system by integrating tourism-related organizations
• Establishment of a research center for visitor-related strategies
  etc.