Paper short abstract:

Japan now attracts a number of overseas visitors and local authorities deal with their diverse demands. This paper will examine a case of introducing a new system in Fujisawa, Japan, to gain insight into the communication, consultation and negotiation with local businesses to satisfy global demands.

Paper long abstract:

In Japan, the imbalance between the number of Japanese overseas travellers and that of overseas visitors to Japan was once crucial problem. In 2003, to tackle the imbalance, the Japanese government launched 'Visit Japan Campaign' to attract more overseas visitors, and in 2015, the number of overseas visitors to Japan eventually exceeded that of Japanese overseas travellers. Currently, many local authorities have attempted to deal with diverse demands of overseas visitors. In February 2016, Fujisawa City and its Tourist Association launched the online system named 'FUJISAWA Foodies' which, on the one hand, provides information about local restaurants in various languages via the Internet. On the other hand, the system enables local restaurants to make their own menu in multiple languages and to upload it onto the Internet. Fujisawa City and its Tourist Association attempt to utilise the system in cooperation with various small businesses to attract a large number of overseas visitors, yet the introduction of new system to the local community is not easy. Different restaurant owners have their own opinions and perspectives on hospitality to overseas visitors, their business management, communication in foreign languages, and so forth. In this paper, the activities concerning 'FUJISAWA Foodies' will be examined in depth in order to gain some insights into the communication, consultation and negotiation with various local businesses to satisfy some global demands.