Today, I would like to focus on a news story about business hotels rapidly expanding into small towns in Okayama Prefecture. This topic raises an important question: how can we rediscover the value of our regions and achieve sustainable growth?
In February, the newly opened “Hotel Route-Inn Okayama Maniwa” became the first hotel in Maniwa City with over 100 rooms, boasting a total of 161 rooms. When I first heard this news, I was both surprised and impressed. Maniwa City, with a population of 40,000, is far from a major metropolis. Yet, Route-Inn Japan chose this location due to its convenient transportation, the presence of the famous Daigo Sakura, and the rising popularity of a new travel style known as “slow travel.”
I strongly resonate with the concept of “slow travel.” It encourages travelers to immerse themselves in the local culture and nature, opting for longer stays to seek deeper experiences. This approach aligns closely with the regional revitalization strategies we aim to pursue. Rather than treating a place as a mere stopover, visitors should be given the opportunity to truly experience its unique charm. The expansion of business hotels in such areas plays a significant role in making this possible.
However, becoming a popular tourist destination comes with challenges. Issues such as overtourism, pressure on local businesses, and labor shortages arise when a region undergoes rapid transformation. To address these challenges, close cooperation between local communities and businesses is essential to ensure sustainable growth. Maniwa City’s initiative could serve as a pioneering model in this regard.
I have personally worked on projects aimed at uncovering the latent value of various regions by understanding their unique characteristics and challenges. Creating mechanisms that local residents can take pride in is, in my view, the true path to meaningful regional revitalization. The expansion of hotels in Maniwa, Ibara, and Tamano will likely serve as a platform for interaction between locals and tourists, allowing both sides to discover new value.
At Sōsha, we continue to explore new possibilities while learning from these developments. As times change, preserving a region’s culture and history while unlocking its true potential remains the key to the future.