The Third Basic Tourism Plan of Inagi City

Page ID1014006 Updated on June 19, 2024

Overview

Since the planning period of the "Second Basic Tourism Plan of Inagi City," formulated in March 2021, will expire at the end of FY2025, this plan has been succeeded and the "Third Basic Tourism Plan of Inagi City" has been formulated herewith, setting a five-year planning period from FY2024 to FY2028.

This plan reviews the measures implemented during the period of the Second Plan, identifies its achievements and remaining challenges, and, based on tourism trends surrounding Inagi City, related plans, and prior surveys conducted, considers policies to utilize these insights moving forward.

Inheriting the second plan that promoted Community Development with the concept of "good to live in" and "good to visit," we aim to create a sustainable tourism region by further promoting a system where tourism promotion generates a virtuous cycle in the local society and economy.

The Four Pillars of Inagi City's Tourism Resources

Satoyama and Nostalgia (Satoyama landscapes, pear and grape orchards, Misawa River cherry blossom corridor, historical and cultural heritage, etc.)
Sports (Yomiuri Giants, G Town, Tokyo Verdy, Beleza, bicycle-related businesses, golf courses, etc.)
Amusement (Yomiuriland, day-use hot spring facilities, TOKYO GIANTS TOWN, HANA・BIYORI, etc.)
Mechanics (Kunio Okawara's works monuments, designed manhole covers, mech design contests, etc.)

Basic Philosophy

Promote the development of the tourism industry with awareness of domestic and international contexts and sustainable Community Development, fostering civic pride

Basic Policies

Basic Policies (1) Utilization and High Value-Added of Regional Resources

Our city will develop tourism policies based on new tourism that is destination-oriented, focusing on Special Interest Tours (SIT) with specific purposes, rather than outbound mass tourism aimed at the general public. To achieve this, we will creatively present regional resources such as existing nature, culture, and industries, refine their stories, and promote tourism projects from the visitors' perspective.

Furthermore, by going beyond the traditional boundaries of the tourism industry and fostering collaboration across different fields and industries, we will explore "innovation through tourism," an initiative that incorporates new technologies and values to enhance the added value of tourism experiences, aiming to realize sustainable tourism.

On the other hand, the city is a residential area that includes established urban areas and new towns, so it is also necessary to consider measures such as organizing tourist flow lines and zoning the range of tourist circulation to avoid friction between tourists and local residents.

Basic Policies (2) Development and Support of Tourism-Related Industries

Until now, we have connected agriculture, commerce, cultural and artistic activities, and civic activities to tourism projects to create local vibrancy. Going forward, the development of the Minamiyama area, including Yomiuriland, the city’s premier leisure facility, and TOKYO GIANTS TOWN, will significantly change the flow of people within the city. Taking this as an opportunity, we will strengthen collaboration with tourism-related industries in the city and support and nurture business operators entering the tourism sector, thereby promoting circulation within the city and contributing to the development of the regional economy. In particular, we will enhance the cultivation of new tourism-related business operators through support for new entrants in the food and beverage industry and subsidies for the development of local gourmet specialties.

In addition, collaboration with professional sports teams such as the Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Verdy, who are active as hometown teams in this city, not only creates local vibrancy but also becomes a topic and source of pride for citizens, serving as a driving force that generates a positive cycle in the community.

In order for our city, which is in such a situation, to continuously promote tourism projects, it is urgent to develop core human resources who can oversee the entire tourism of Inagi.

Basic Policy (3) Building a Regional Brand and Effective Information Dissemination

Establishing a brand image related to Inagi tourism is an important element in promoting tourism projects. Currently, projects that promote the attractions of Inagi City are underway through the City Promotion Card and Inagi Location Service, but going forward, information dissemination will be centralized mainly by the Inagi City Tourism Association to build a unified brand image and improve recognition of the appeal of Inagi tourism. In particular, the Mechanic Designer Kunio Okawara Project is positioned as a unique cultural resource that is recognized worldwide and will be promoted as the core of the brand.

Furthermore, regarding the diverse tourism resources, we will clearly define the target audience and disseminate information effectively. Information dissemination will utilize various media, ranging from physical outlets such as the Inagi Communication Base Pair Terrace, Tokyo Tourism Information Center, Golf Japan Series, and Soma Citizens Festival event PR booths, to publications, websites, and social media. We will appropriately select media aligned with our objectives, keeping global information dissemination in mind. In particular, concerning inbound demand, which may significantly impact our city in the future, we will introduce new publicity strategies such as strengthening digital marketing, implementing multilingual support, and improving infrastructure.

Individual Measures

Measure (1) Internationalization of the Mechanical Designer Kunio Okawara Project and Promotion of Cultural Tourism (Priority Measure)

Our city is the birthplace and residence of Kunio Okawara, a world-renowned mechanical designer known for works such as "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Armored Trooper Votoms," and "Yatterman." The Mechanical Designer Kunio Okawara Project is positioned as a unique cultural resource recognized worldwide. With Mr. Okawara’s cooperation, we implement the installation and maintenance of monuments related to his works and hold international events, refining it as a globally competitive tourism content. Additionally, we explore collaboration with local commercial and industrial businesses as well as educational institutions, linking the creation of new tourism businesses related to mechanical design to regional revitalization and promotion of settlement.

We will continue this measure while further enhancing creativity and ingenuity, promoting this culturally valuable project to the world, and researching systems to ensure it can be reliably passed down to future generations.

Measure (2) Strengthening Sports Tourism (Priority Measure)

Collaboration and support with professional sports teams such as the Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Verdy, who are active with our city as their hometown, not only create local vibrancy and economic effects but also become topics of conversation and pride for citizens, driving a positive cycle in the community. Furthermore, sports hospitality aimed at tourists coming from outside the city to Giants Town Stadium contributes to regional development and stimulates tourism demand, so we will promote customer attraction projects focused on sports events and exchanges.

Furthermore, collaboration with companies and organizations from different fields and industries beyond the conventional scope of tourism is expected to enable entry into previously untapped markets and attract new tourists. Therefore, we will also actively work on attracting business events that are expected to draw large crowds and facilitate exchanges.

Measure (3) Collaboration with the Yomiuri Group (Priority Measure)

Starting with Yomiuriland, which continues to grow as a comprehensive leisure facility (including HANA・BIYORI and Hanakage no Yu), the newly constructed Giants Town Stadium, the recently opened "PokéPark Kanto" within Yomiuriland, and the aquarium scheduled to open in the future, the Yomiuri Group's "TOKYO GIANTS TOWN" concept will significantly change the flow of people in this city. Taking this as an opportunity, the city and the Yomiuri Group will enter into a comprehensive partnership agreement to promote regional revitalization (regional development) through the realization of the "TOKYO GIANTS TOWN" concept and other initiatives, working together in mutual cooperation to pursue sustainable regional development as well as the promotion of education, culture, and sports.

In addition, to promote attracting visitors to the city and create local vibrancy linked to this, we will undertake initiatives that encourage movement within the city, such as holding events like stamp rallies utilizing digital tourist maps and disseminating business information, with public and private sectors working together to develop these projects.

Measure (4) Promotion of Inagi as a Bicycle-Friendly City (Priority Measure)

So far, leveraging the geographical advantages that attract cyclists such as the Tamagawa Cycling Course and the Minami-Tama Ridge Main Road, as well as the Olympic legacy from hosting the cycling road race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we have been promoting the project of "Inagi, the Bicycle-Friendly City." Moving forward, to continue developing the city as a sanctuary for cyclists, we will work on strengthening the functions as a starting and ending point for cycling and on wide-area business collaboration.

Measure (5) Fostering startups in tourism-related industries and supporting shopping streets

In addition to Business Operators such as Area Brain Co., Ltd. and JR Chuo Line Community Design Co., Ltd., who have actively participated in our city's tourism projects through events, we will seize the development of the Minamiyama area, including Yomiuriland and TOKYO GIANTS TOWN, as an opportunity to newly promote circulation within the city by strengthening support for startups in tourism-related industries and shopping streets. Furthermore, we aim to concentrate tourism-related industries, thereby contributing to the development of the regional economy and building a tourism system that generates revenue for the region.

Measure (6) Promoting new tourism utilizing existing tourism resources

By inheriting the expertise cultivated through events such as the Misawa River Cherry Blossom and Pear Blossom Festival, sightseeing walking tours around water, greenery, and satoyama, and stamp rallies, and by continuously adding new attractions and making improvements, we aim to further enhance the quality of existing projects. Additionally, we will explore historical and cultural heritage remaining within the city as tourism resources, such as the Inagi City Local History Museum, the old folk houses in Hirao, the terraced rice fields in Odara, and the satoyama resources like Kasayato Waterside Park. We will also attempt to develop new tourism projects, including international art events utilizing newly opened community exchange hubs like LOUNGE WiTH 372.

In addition, we will promote location services (filming support) utilizing the city's regional resources. By actively attracting location shoots and providing filming support, we aim to achieve effective city promotion and revitalize the local economy. Furthermore, we will widely disseminate attractive location information to motivate visits.

Measure (7) Creating and expanding exchange and related populations

The city has been strengthening its collaboration year by year with its Sister City, Ozora Town in Hokkaido, and its Friendship Cities, Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture and Nozawaonsen Village in Nagano Prefecture. In 2021, the city signed a partnership agreement with Foster City, California, USA, as its first overseas Sister City. Building on these Sister and Friendship Cities, the city will develop various projects to create and expand exchange and related populations.　

Furthermore, as exchange and related populations expand and opportunities for PR of the city increase, activities by tourism ambassadors, Inagi tourism guides, and the Inagi City Tourism Association Supporters Club are expected.

Measure (8) Promoting Tourism DX

By utilizing digital technology, we will address issues related to tourism in the city, create new tourism experiences and business models, and improve operational efficiency. Moreover, not limited to merely digitizing tourism businesses, we will analyze and utilize data by bringing in external experts and others, thereby enhancing visitor satisfaction, expanding consumption, and promoting sustainable tourism community development.

Measure (9) Establishing the Foundation for Destination Marketing

To promote this plan, we will collaborate with the Tourism Association to establish the foundation for destination marketing. Specifically, we will organize and utilize tourism statistics such as the number of visitors and tourism expenditure, refine tourism resources, plan and manage various events, and disseminate information with clearly defined target audiences. At the same time, we will create mechanisms to promote tourism regional management through the PDCA cycle, as well as recruit and develop human resources.