People Involved in the Tourism and Travel Industry ①Inspiration for Pursuing Japan's Tourism and Travel Industry

Italy, where I come from, is a country with a long history. I enjoyed studying history, and while learning about other countries' histories, I became interested in Japan. I was particularly fascinated by the culture of the warriors and samurai.
I first came to Japan in 2013. I found it so interesting that I started visiting once a year and eventually wanted to live here. I actually began living here in 2017.

I was searching for a place to study abroad, and Japan was the country selected. Among various candidate countries, Japan particularly appealed to me because it had an image of being safe and clean. I also felt I wanted to learn about technology in Japan. I came to Japan in 2015 and subsequently began studying at a university in Kyushu.

In Taiwan, Japanese anime was shown on TV, and I watched a lot of anime since I was a child. I felt a close connection to Japan, and in 2017, I came to Japan for the first time as an exchange student. I returned to Taiwan once after that, but then I learned that Tobu Railway Co., Ltd., where I currently work, was recruiting personnel in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. I applied, was hired, and have been here ever since.

I work at Tobu Railway, handling strategic planning and marketing for inbound tourism. To attract visitors to tourist spots, I plan campaigns on online media and social media, and sometimes attend business meetings for overseas travel agencies. Additionally, when overseas media or travel agencies request to cover or inspect tourist spots and facilities along our railway lines, I handle the arrangements and accompany them.
About 40% of my work involves business trips within Japan and overseas.

I work at a foreign-affiliated travel agency, where I handle tour planning for tourists visiting Japan from Europe. My work is primarily remote, though I occasionally travel for business, such as on familiarization trips (fam trips) to learn about regional tourism resources. Additionally, as an individual, I post articles about traveling in Japan in Italian and English as a travel blogger.

On weekdays, I work in a technical role at an IT company, and on weekends, I work as an influencer in the travel industry.
Besides posting travel photos on social media, I also participate in familiarization trips to various destinations. My home country, Bangladesh, has a high proportion of Muslim residents. Since I am well-versed in religious observances, I sometimes provide advice on services tailored for Muslim travelers.

I’ve always loved traveling. I started writing a travel blog as a hobby in 2015, and moving to Japan led me to make the travel industry my main job. Starting the blog helped me find my current job at a travel agency, so I’m glad I began writing.

Like Michela, I also love traveling. When I was in Taiwan, I worked for a company involved in MICE (international conferences, incentive travel, exhibitions, etc.). While planning sightseeing tours for foreign guests, my interest in tourism deepened. That experience led me to want to pursue a long-term career in travel and tourism.

I started posting on social media because of the pandemic. I loved traveling abroad, but before that, I rarely took photos or shared anything with anyone. However, the pandemic suddenly made it impossible to go overseas, and I couldn’t meet friends living abroad either. Since my work became remote, I started working in various places across the country and sharing updates about my current situation on social media. My posts were surprisingly well-received, so I decided to keep going.

I never intended to become an influencer. But as I kept sharing content, hotels and companies across the country started inviting me to visit, and I began traveling to various places. Seeing different domestic tourist spots deepened my knowledge and increased the information I could offer. Plus, social media lets me get immediate feedback from viewers, which helps me improve my content. After about 4 years of this, I feel my possibilities have expanded.

It's fascinating to have opportunities to engage deeply with tourist destinations. When we collaborate with locals to organize events and receive comments like “It’s great that awareness of the area has increased,” it makes me happy. Hearing feedback from participating tourists, such as “This place is interesting,” also gives me a real sense of fulfillment. I believe travel and tourism content shouldn’t just be superficial basic information; it’s important to create it by brainstorming ideas with various people.

I think it’s been really great to be able to share various information, like ways to enjoy travel and hidden gems. I can enjoy travel myself, and it’s wonderful that my experiences can be useful to others.
On the other hand, I do feel stressed sometimes. It’s when I feel that some visitors to Japan don’t respect Japanese culture. For example, I once had a tourist request a hamburger during a geisha experience at a traditional restaurant. I thought that was extremely disrespectful to Japanese geisha culture. Tourists should also show an attitude of wanting to learn about Japanese culture and traditions.

I completely understand. Honestly, it can be tough to perfectly accommodate every request sometimes.
In my job, I sometimes coordinate interviews or inspections from overseas visitors. Due to scheduling constraints, delays or sudden changes happen, and I end up having to apologize on their behalf. It’s tricky to balance how much flexibility and individual attention is appropriate.

I was just about to say the same thing. As travel to Japan grows more popular, I feel everyone increasingly wants the same experiences.
Even if you advise, “You won’t see it today because the weather’s bad,” everyone still heads to the base of Mt. Fuji to take photos. Sometimes unexpected crowds gather in places, causing trouble for locals.
Many people listen when you point out bad manners, but others think, “It’s okay to do whatever I want because I’m only here briefly.” Dealing with those kinds of people weighs heavily on my heart.

It wasn’t like this just a little while ago, was it? It feels like the number of tourists has really increased.

Yeah, I feel like more people are touring famous spots like they’re checking off a checklist.