Although policies to develop rural tourism have been in place in Japan for over 20 years, it is not yet widespread within the domestic travel industry. In contrast, rural tourism is widespread in Europe as a form of general tourism. This study focuses on this point, hypothesizing that an increase in inbound tourists is key to the future spread of rural tourism in Japan. It aims to clarify how inbound tourists evaluate tourism in rural Japan and to consider how rural tourism can be developed in the future.
In the first year of the research, a survey of agritourism (farm lodgings) was conducted in Italy, a region at the forefront of rural tourism, to clarify the trends of guests. A survey of farm lodgings was also conducted in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, a practical region in Japan, and the evaluations of Japanese tourists who actually stayed there were analyzed. A questionnaire survey was also conducted targeting inbound tourists visiting the area. The survey will continue until the end of the fiscal year, and the results will be analyzed next fiscal year.