旅館青年部の研修会@別所温泉 Ryokan Seminar @ Bessho Onsen

August 24, 2010: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

How to we get 20 year olds to come here?

最近の日本の若者は旅行しなくなってきている。大学生はバイト(と飲み会?)が多いせいで、時間もおかねの余裕がないそうです。今日は長野県の旅館青年部が長野大学と松本大学と連携して、20代の人たちの旅行事情の研修会を開きました。

別所温泉で行われたので学生はまず、代表の「花屋」という宿を見学しました。聞いたら、学生はこういう伝統的な日本の旅館をやはり、あこがれるらしいです。でも、本当に時間と予算の余裕がなくて、行くとしたら突然で決め、予約は旅行会社やネットじゃなくて、携帯電話で。しかし、いまだに行先地域の情報はチラシや旅行の雑誌から。そして、予算がないけど、ちゃんとしたおもてなしを期待すると。

これからは我々旅館がどう対応するかがポイントですね。20代の人たちは今の内に旅館の文化となじんでもらって、30代、40代、50代などになっていく中で、「旅館」が一般の生活の一部としてキープしなきゃ。

Twenty-year-olds here are going on vacations less and less often. University students' part-time jobs and lack of funds don't allow for overnight trips. Today, the Nagano Ryokan Junior Association in collaboration with Nagano University and Matsumoto University, held a seminar to discuss how to get the younger generation to enjoy ryokans.

The seminar took place at historical Bessho Onsen. The students took a tour of venerable Hanaya Ryokan. Afterwards, they said they were thrilled with the idea of staying at a traditional ryokan such as Hanaya. They just don't have the time or money. If they do go, it's spur of the moment, and they make the reservations not by travel agent or website, but by cell phone. Surprisingly though, the major source of info for choosing a destination is still paper-based: fliers picked up at the train station or travel magazines.

It is our hope to familiarize 20-somethings with the ryokan 'culture' so that as they become 30, 40 50 and so on, they keep ryokans part of their lives. So it is up to us ryokans to make ourselves attractive to the younger generation.





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