Okinawa Launches Study on Sustainable Tourism

The Okinawa prefectural government announced on February 13, 2008, in an explanatory statement on bills submitted to the prefectural assembly, that the fiscal 2008 national budget earmarked funds needed for the prefecture's new project to help Okinawa become a sustainable tourist destination.

The prefecture's Visit Okinawa Plan for fiscal 2008 cites implementation of a study to calculate the appropriate number of tourists that would be accepted at each spot for sustainable development of sightseeing spots. This is shown in "Paragraph 2: Sustainable development of tourist resorts of Section 6: Improvement of tourism infrastructure" of the plan.

Specifically, the local government has invited proposals to research programs for sustainable sightseeing that would utilize the rich scenic resources of Okinawa without damaging them. Program proposals needed to include an outline, methods of carrying out the proposed program, and an agenda of investigative commissions and working group meetings for the program.

The government began accepting proposals in June 2008, and it was scheduled to choose a contractor in the middle of July 2008. The contract starts on the day of signing an agreement and ends on March 31, 2009.

http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/english/index.html

Posted: 2008/09/22 09:49:49 AM