Evaluating the Diversifying Market for and Viability of Rural Tourism Activity in Japan

This paper evaluated diversified rural tourism activities from the perspectives of economic viability and endogenous utilization of rural resources and investigated labour productivity. First, we presented a conceptual framework on how to evaluate economic viability and the endogenous mobilization of rural resources. Second, we empirically evaluated economic viability, the supply shift effect of endogenous utilization of rural resources and labour productivity with regard to rural tourism. The main findings are as follows. First, examination of the three main activities, i.e. accommodation, restaurant operation and direct selling of farm products, showed that both full-time and part-time labour input contribute more effectively to better sales than such labour for farm experience services, which means that these activities are viable whereas other activities that provide farming experience services did not yet clearly show evidence of a viable farm business. Second, we could not confirm the supply shift effect of endogenous innovative use of rural resources. Overall, it was evaluated that rural tourism in this country is undersupplied at a social optimal level. In the long run, institutional conditions for market formation and management skills for endogenous innovation in utilization of rural resources should be more intensely developed as a part of rural resource management policy.rural tourism, rural resources, farm diversification, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Evaluating Multifunctional Activities as Rural Institution in Japan

The relationship between multifunctionality and the roles of rural communities has not been discussed fully although the connection between the two is an essential issue in the rural policy arena. Pursuing this issue, this paper considers that multifunctional hamlet activities are generated as institutional joint products within the hamlet. Also evaluated is the connection between multifunctional activities and institutional hamlet conditions under the Japanese direct payment program for less favored areas. Results of conceptual considerations and empirical evaluations reveal that specific multifunctional hamlet activities depend on hamlet conditions; those on the least favorable level tend to perform land preservation activities while those under the most favorable conditions tend to undertake recreational activity. Hamlets participating in forming landscape fall in the middle. Thus, firstly, institutional jointness is not constant but variable depending on hamlet conditions. Consequently, programs to enhance multifunctionality should respect hamlet conditions that represent different levels of institutional jointness of multifunctional activity rather than treat multifunctionality as a single concept. Secondly, for diversification, it would be effective to organize hamlet activities based on an open and wider human network rather than the traditional closed one in rural communities.multifunctionality, rural community, institution, jointness, diversification, human resources, direct payment, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Q19, R0, Z13, Q18,

Evaluating Household Leisure Behaviour of Rural Tourism in Japan

Understanding the demand profile of rural tourism is a necessary condition for the successful diversification of any rural economy. Although descriptive analyses have been conducted on this issue, a more generalised framework is required that allows us to explore economic analyses. This paper evaluates the leisure behaviour of households that have a preference for rural tourism in Japan. First, we give conceptual consideration to the notion that leisure behaviour should be regarded as a form of a home production and explain that households that undertake rural tourism have undergone an upward shift in the home production function to realise a higher utility level. We propose that a preference for rural recreation causes this shift by improving the efficiency of the home production of leisure. Second, as an actual behaviour of rural tourism, the characteristics of visitors to pick-your-own farms were statistically tested using data from a nationwide survey on tourism. Finally, the rural preference function was estimated. The results revealed that the profile of households showing a preference for rural tourism demonstrated both up-market and niche market characteristics, which mirrored findings in European countries emphasizing the importance of a higher academic background, stronger orientation towards outdoor recreation, and greater discrimination with respect to the quality of services and goods received. Preference for rural recreation can be enhanced through the provision of authentic, high quality service and goods and the preservation of the rural environment. Therefore, there will be an increased demand for a farm policy that integrates both agricultural and rural measures.rural tourism, home production, service goods, rural infrastructure, leisure behaviour, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Hedonic Pricing Evaluation on Agritourism Activity in Italy: Local Culture-based or Facility-based?

This paper focused on how and what diversified activities influence the price level of agritourism. A hypothesis that contrasts two directions was examined: facility-based and local culture-based activities. First, from the conceptual consideration, we defined that agritourism based on local cultural resources can internalize positive externalities, which are accompanied by local cultural resources, into income, unlike facility-based activity that has no connection with local cultural resources. Second, the results of estimations from the price determinant ordered logit model clarified that owning a swimming pool was the most common and influential factor in enhancing the price level while regional diversity was observed in terms of local cultural resource-based activities such as restaurants, world heritage sites and DOC wines. These findings indicate that hardware-based evolution is more effective in the short term than evolution based on software aspects. Nevertheless, this hardware-based evolution of agritourism is implicitly based on the assumption of continuously growing demand and sufficient financial capability for the fixed investment. When growth in demand becomes stagnant, facility installation can be a heavy burden on operators. Consequently, for the sustainable development of agritourism it will be necessary to harness locality to create a balance between facility-based services and local culture-based services.agritourism, local cultural heritage, hedonic pricing, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Labor and Human Capital,

EVALUATING OPERATORS’ SATISFACTION AND POTENTIAL OF LOCAL RESOURCES FOR RURAL TOURISM: EVIDENCE FROM MATSUURA IN JAPAN

As rural tourism evolves into diversification, the connection between the individual and local resource management is becoming an important issue for the sustainable evolution of rural tourism. To explore this point, we investigated conceptually and empirically whether rural tourism operators’ individual satisfaction enhances utilization of local resources and, if so, what mechanism works for it by focusing on rural tourism accompanied by an educational program, i.e. a farm-stay with farm and rural experience services implemented as a part of school trips in Matsuura, Japan. From statistical tests and an econometric estimation based on a questionnaire survey of rural tourism operators we found that operators’ individual satisfaction gained from interchange with visitors and direct feedback can positively enhance locally exerted effects that stimulate operators to recognize opportunities within their community and raise the potential for local resource use. Thus, we should strengthen this connection to eventually create a new viable activity.rural tourism, operators’ individual satisfaction, utilization of local resources, feedback effect from visitors, Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Causal relationship between eWOM topics and profit of rural tourism at Japanese Roadside Stations "MICHINOEKI"

Affected by urbanization, centralization and the decrease of overall population, Japan has been making efforts to revitalize the rural areas across the country. One particular effort is to increase tourism to these rural areas via regional branding, using local farm products as tourist attractions across Japan. Particularly, a program subsidized by the government called Michinoeki, which stands for 'roadside station', was created 20 years ago and it strives to provide a safe and comfortable space for cultural interaction between road travelers and the local community, as well as offering refreshment, and relevant information to travelers. However, despite its importance in the revitalization of the Japanese economy, studies with newer technologies and methodologies are lacking. Using sales data from establishments in the Kyushu area of Japan, we used Support Vector to classify content from Twitter into relevant topics and studied their causal relationship to the sales for each establishment using LiNGAM, a linear non-gaussian acyclic model built for causal structure analysis, to perform an improved market analysis considering more than just correlation. Under the hypotheses stated by the LiNGAM model, we discovered a positive causal relationship between the number of tweets mentioning those establishments, specially mentioning deserts, a need for better access and traf^ic options, and a potentially untapped customer base in motorcycle biker groups

Accessing demand characteristics of agritourism in Italy

The purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the demand characteristics of agritourism in Italy, which has not been fully investigated despite the relatively high number of the supply-side studies on the Italian agritourism. Design – First this paper conceptually characterized the features of agritourism as the old and modern types and outlined the trend of supply and demand in agritourism in Italy in comparison with Japan. Second, this paper statistically examined the characteristics in the demand side for agritourism in Italy in comparison with tourism demand in general, such as that for hotels. Methodology and approach – Data were obtained from ‘Annuario Statistico Italiano’ edited and issued by ISTAT (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica). Data from 1997 were compared with those from 2006. We examined the regional characteristics and trends in the composition of domestic and inbound tourists in relation to agritourism. Findings – (1) Agritourism experienced rapid growth in the number of beds available and of those tourists who stayed overnight during the last decade while the operation rate of agritourism is much lower than that of tourism in general. (2) The market for agritourism domestic demand accounted for more than half of the total agritourism demand. The remaining demand was filled by inbound tourists from European countries. These inbound tourists are driving the growth of agritourism in this country. Even if we consider the particular reasons for low barriers to travel in Europe, these findings clearly indicate that it is essential for the development of agritourism to count not only on domestic but also inbound tourists to raise the operation rate. Originality of the research – The originality comes from the investigation of agritourism in Italy by focusing on the demand factors in comparison with tourism in general

Wine Tourism in the Eastern Region of São Paulo State (Brazil) and Yamanashi Region (Japan): Similarities and Asymmetries

A pesquisa caracteriza-se como estudo de caso exploratório do turismo do vinho, da região leste do estado de São Paulo (Brasil) e da região de Yamanashi, localizada na área central do Japão. A pesquisa em São Paulo foi realizada de fevereiro a agosto de 2013 e o dados levantados em Yamanashi, durante o mês de setembro de 2011. Os resultados indicaram que a principal similaridade entre as regiões foi a preferência do turista pelo day tour. Como principal assimetria constatou-se que em Yamanashi os turistas visitavam a região para realizar degustações e tour nas vinícolas enquanto que em São Paulo a visitação ocorria principalmente, durante as festividades da uva e vinho. Outra diferença identificada foi o investimento que as vinícolas de Yamanashi realizaram para fortalecer o vinho Koshu no mercado internacional.This research is characterized as an exploratory case study of wine Tourism in Eastern region of São Paulo State (Brazil) and Yamanashi, region located in the central area of Japan. The survey in São Paulo was conducted from February to August 2013 and the data and information about Yamanashi, was collected during September 2011. The results indicated that the main similarity between the two regions was the day tour tourist’s preference. As main asymmetry was that in Yamanashi, the tourists visited the region for wineries tour and wine tasting and in São Paulo, the tourists came to participate the wine and grape festivities. Another difference was the investment that was made by the Yamanashi wineries to promote the Koshu wine abroad