The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau is proud to announce that we were honored to be a double award-winning association at the 5th Japan Tourism Awards 2019.

The awards were:

● Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Award
● Special Award for DMO Promotion

The Japan Tourism Awards recognize those who contribute to the development and expansion of the tourism industry, adding synergistic effects to the “Tourism EXPO Japan,” while also giving recognition to exceptionally sustainable initiatives by associations, organizations, and companies in Japan and overseas.

「Transforming the Sacred Kumano Region into a New Model of Community-based Tourism」
「聖地・熊野における地域ぐるみの新しい観光モデルへの挑戦」

The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau (TCKTB) is a tiny office with a huge mission, to develop and promote Japan’s remote spiritual heartland, into a quality, sustainable tourism destination open to the world.

The scope of this project is grassroots tourism development and promotion, with the added mandate of connecting visitors and local businesses as a community-based travel agency.

Through strategically planned projects with a diversity of stakeholders, the TCKTB strives to build a strong foundation for a sustainable future by focusing on:

● preserving local culture and heritage
● cultivating human resources
● developing effective tourism systems
● fostering exchanges between visitors and locals
● increasing capacity
● diversifying tourism products
● promoting to distinct and valuable target markets
● establishing a robust local economic cluster
● collaborating with neighboring towns and cities to revitalize our mutual tourism resources

We kindly thank all our community, government, and international partners to help making our mission a reality.