What is "Team-Building Tourism," which has created new possibilities for regional revitalization? Tourism initiatives that foster internal communication within communities (Part 1)

Team-Building Tourism attracts domestic and international companies to local governments and implements training programs. The goal of this initiative, promoted by Dentsu Ad-Gear Inc., is not merely to "bring people to rural areas," but to "increase the number of people who maintain ongoing connections with those regions." Minamiaizu Town in Fukushima Prefecture, which adopted the initiative, began verification in fiscal year 2019 and conducted two monitor tours in 2022.

For Transformation SHOWCASE, we interviewed Mr. Masaomi Akutsu from the Minamiaizu Town Office, who promoted the project as the host community, and Mr. Takamitsu Kimura from Dentsu Ad-Gear Inc., who supported the project, about the potential of Team Building Tourism. In Part 1, we hear their perspectives on the significance of Team Building Tourism and the effects this initiative brings to the region.

Emphasizing Inner Team Building Among Local Residents Hosting Companies

Q. First, could you tell us how you both came to be involved in team-building tourism?

Kimura: Dentsu Ad-Gear Inc. launched its team-building tourism initiative in 2019. That same year, we held a seminar at a forum on regional revitalization hosted by a university. Since this was before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 300 people from local government commerce, industry, and tourism departments attended. Mr. Akutsu was among the attendees at that venue.

Akutsu: I must admit, at that forum, I listened with a casual attitude, thinking, "Oh, so there's such a business." However, a movement to promote inbound tourism was emerging in Minamiaizu Town, and as part of those efforts, we began considering accepting team-building tourism projects.

At the same time, I had a personal idea I'd been nurturing. Minamiaizu Town had traditionally focused on educational travel like training camps and school trips for children and students. We noticed a significant trend: many children who participated in these trips returned as adults, becoming repeat visitors to Minamiaizu. Furthermore, schools that visited once for educational travel tended to choose Minamiaizu as their destination continuously for 3 to 5 years. I had always felt this model could be applied to corporate training. Given this context, I recalled Dentsu Ad-Gear Inc.'s team-building tourism initiative and reached out to them.

Q. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic began, were discussions about team-building tourism still progressing between the two of you?

Kimura: Yes. Initially, we had inbound tourism in mind, but we shifted our focus and began developing team-building tourism targeting domestic companies. When we first started the project, Minamiaizu Town didn't yet have much of the necessary facilities or infrastructure to accommodate international visitors. So, we decided to first lay the groundwork with domestic companies, where language and culture are shared, and eventually expand to include overseas companies.

Q. Could you please explain the characteristics, key focus areas, and differences from general training programs for team-building tourism?

Kimura: What we prioritize most in team-building tourism is the inner team-building among the host municipality—that is, the local residents themselves. People living in the same town who previously had no interaction, or those who interacted but hadn't yet created new value from it, exchange information and work toward a shared goal. We believe this process itself contributes to regional revitalization. While our stated goal is "creating corporate training tourism involving the entire town," to put it bluntly, a different objective is perfectly acceptable. What matters is that local residents gather for a shared purpose and take action.

Q. Typically, training programs come as a packaged activity, and then you decide "which town should host it." But with this program, revitalizing the town comes first, and team-building tourism is used as a catalyst. It's the opposite approach and very intriguing. What led to the creation of this initiative?

Kimura: If we trace it back, the idea started with exploring business opportunities through the lens of "Exhibition/Event" (a portmanteau using the initials of "MICE": Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, Exhibitions/Events). Among these, we considered incentive tours as having the highest feasibility. Event) sector. We specifically explored the feasibility of the second category, incentive travel.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic restricted people's movements, leading to more time spent in local communities. Conversely, this also presented an opportunity for local residents to become more active within their own areas. When we spoke with various businesses active in Minamiaizu, we discovered many interesting ideas. We then reasoned that rather than us planning tours from a Tokyo or corporate perspective, it would ultimately be more rewarding for local residents to plan the tours and for us to find companies to participate in them. This led to tours created and implemented by the townspeople themselves.

Aiming for self-sustaining initiatives, not municipality-led

Q. What were your impressions when you first visited Minamiaizu Town, Mr. Kimura?

Kimura: Right after our team-building tourism project was approved, I went to Minamiaizu Town alone and rode around town on a rental bike. The mountain scenery and the atmosphere of the small houses were really nice; it felt like visiting my grandparents' home.

Q. Did you sense potential for tourism?

Kimura: Yes, absolutely. I felt it especially during the three days spent talking with local business owners, guided by Mr. Akutsu. We visited six or seven businesses, and as I listened intently to their aspirations—what they wanted to achieve, what kind of town they envisioned—I was struck by how fascinating each person was. They weren't trying to be quirky; instead, they were grounded in their daily lives, firmly rooted in their community, and approached their work with deep conviction. Moreover, each person is working under the mindset of wanting to improve Minamiaizu Town and leverage its strengths. And they can articulate these feelings clearly in their own words.

At that point, I felt like I was the one receiving training. I knew other companies would definitely learn something valuable by coming here. All that was left was figuring out how to structure the program.

Q. Mr. Akutsu, I imagine you were quite familiar with the town's business owners. What was it like seeing them passionately sharing their stories with Mr. Kimura?

Akutsu: It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but honestly, I learned many things for the first time too. Minamiaizu Town itself was formed in 2006 through the merger of one town and three villages. I'm originally from the former Tateiwa Village, yet there are still facilities within Minamiaizu Town I've never visited. While I knew the businesses each operator ran, I hadn't deeply understood everyone's aspirations. It was educational for me personally, and it also gave me hope that this could work as a corporate training program.

Regarding the implementation of Team Building Tourism, I hear you established a promotion council within the town, Mr. Akutsu. Since it wasn't Dentsu Ad-Gear Inc. driving the initiative, but rather creating a council with local businesses to tackle this new venture, it must have been quite challenging, right?

Akutsu: Initially, the businesses also thought the town would lead the project and they would just follow along. After all, in any municipality, the government must take the lead for events to happen. Especially in small towns with limited local manpower, government-led initiatives are often essential for projects to succeed. Moreover, we've seen cases where even after several successful events, if the government withdraws support, the event disappears.

Personally, I believed that if we were going to pursue team-building tourism, even if the town took the lead initially, the ultimate goal should be for it to become self-sustaining. If various businesses collaborate within the region to launch new ventures, I wanted them to eventually pursue their own goals, expand their network, and grow their businesses. With this in mind, we shifted our focus midway to aiming for the Promotion Council to become self-sustaining. We're still halfway there, but I'm determined to make it happen.

Traditionally, local government tourism initiatives have focused heavily on attracting visitors from outside. However, the team-building tourism project in Minamiaizu Town started by deepening understanding and fostering collaboration among local businesses themselves.

In the second part, we'll discuss Minamiaizu Town's sense of accomplishment after two monitor tours and the mindset needed to make this a sustainable initiative.

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