1、 Transforming Japans Rural Areas Into Tourist Destinations Through Digital Innovation Special Report NRI Consulting&Solutions(Thailand)Co.,Ltd.1 With less than 5%With less than 5%of Thai tourists venturing into Japans rural areas,cities like Tokyo and Osaka face the strain of overtourismbut how can

2、we shift this dynamic?A one-stop digital platform might just hold the answer to unlocking Japans hidden gems.2 IntroductionIntroduction This report focuses on the increase of Thai tourists concentrated in Japans major metropolitan areas and identifies the key challenges they face when considering tr

3、avel to rural areas.It explores the future of digital tourism,refers to the use of digital platforms and technology to enhance the travel experience by providing essential services and information for tourists,to support the promotion of dispersing tourists to these regions.Through behavior studies

4、of tourists based on existing research and analyses such as pain point assessments,key pain points were hypothesized,including limited information about rural areas,confusion regarding Japans regional divisions,and language barriers,particularly outside of major cities.Following this,a Focus Group D

5、iscussion(FGD)workshop was conducted to validate these hypotheses,resulting in an agreement rate of over 70%.Below are the key findings of this report:Desktop research revealed that major cities like Tokyo and Osaka remain favored destinations for Thai tourists,with a very low visit rate to rural ar

6、easbelow 5%.Many Thai tourists prefer to gather information through personal blogs and video platforms;however,these information sources tend to be biased toward popular cities,creating barriers for travelers seeking information about rural destinations.3 Additionally,the complexity of Japans geogra