Structural Change of Japanese Ski Resorts due to the Development of International Tourism: Focusing on Change in Composition of Actor in Resorts

概要

The purpose of this study is to clarify the structural changes in ski resorts across Japan due to the
development of international tourism, focusing on the tourism behavior of foreign skiers as guests and the
adjustments of actors as hosts. In this study, we focused on the change of actor composition, which is an
original research perspective in this field of study, and positioned the structural changes accompanying the
development of international tourism within the resort development process.
First, in order to clarify the basic characteristics of international tourism in ski resorts throughout
Japan, we analyzed the tourism behaviors of the foreign guests according to their origin country and the
attempts of the host ski areas to attract foreign skiers. It was found that Australian and Chinese skiers, who
are expected to have different behavior patterns during their stay at ski resorts in Japan, are quantitatively
important as guests. In addition, it was suggested that large ski areas and ski area with good access from the
Golden Route tend to attract more foreign skiers.
International tourism has developed in Hakuba mainly as a result of visits from Australians, who stay
for around a week, which is different from the behavior of traditional Japanese skiers, who generally only
stay for a weekend. As a result, tourism services suited to the Australian style of stay were developed by
foreigners in these resort towns. Specifically, the number of restaurant facilities and accommodations such
as cottages increased. At the same time, the Japanese actors in the industry also strengthened their acceptance
of foreign skiers. The ski resorts were transformed into a suitable form of international tourism.
In the Yuzawa Town the number of Chinese tourists specifically increased. These tourists visit Naeba
for about three nights and Gala Yuzawa for a day trip. In Naeba, Chinese tourists stay at ski areas with
adjacent hotels. In Gala Yuzawa, Chinese tourists are generally day-trippers who want to try skiing for the
first time. In other words, the tourists do not engage in après-ski activities in the resort town of Yuzawa. They
stay at the ski resort in a manner similar to the traditional Japanese. The hosts at the Naeba ski resort
implement a large-scale strategy to attract visitors by taking advantage of its group companies.
Namely, international tourism has developed only in the ski area and accommodation facilities owned
by outsider companies.
The structural changes in ski resorts associated with the development of international tourism
position each target region differently in the context of long-term changes in actor composition. Around
Happo-one ski area in Hakuba, local residents established the ski area in the 1950s. The domestic
migrants continued to enter the new development settlement-type districts based on existing settlements
until 1990. Subsequently, with the development of international tourism, there has been a noticeable shift
in the composition of the actors in the sector, with a shift from domestic migrants to foreigners,
especially in the new development settlement-type districts. Contrastingly, in Naeba an outsider
company played an important role in the formation of a ski resort in the 1960s. Subsequently, the
number of domestic migrants increased in the new development settlement-type districts. However, the
activity in these districts has been declining since 1990.
Ski resorts hosting Australians are required to adapt to tourism behavior that is markedly different from that
of traditional Japanese skiers. ...