For the last one and a half years, Rod Walters of Japan Inbound has been employed as a consultant to Omi Tourism Board (OTB) under the Tourism Agency’s Project for the Development of World-class DMOs. Omi Tourism Board is a DMO in Shiga formed of three cities and four towns. Based in Hikone, is manages the area east of Lake Biwa in Shiga, including Maibara and Omihachiman.
Web development
As a consultant, Rod was required to produce new web and tour content for the inbound tourism market, and to provide advice on the management of the DMO based on examples from the world’s leading DMOs. Rod recommended using a world-class DMS as a web platform, but since the funds were lacking, it was decided to build a new website based on ShikokuTours.com, which allows points of interest, folk of interest, tour content and so on to be combined freely. The new website is Visit-Omi.com. Since food is a major focus of OTB’s efforts, Rod interviewed many of the players in the local food and beverage industry. This is an effective way of personalising the tourism content of the region.
Tour development
Based on his experience running Shikoku Tours, an inbound travel agency in Shikoku, Rod advised adapting existing tours for Japanese customers so that their content can be understood by foreign customers. This approach is easy to implement, involves little risk, and is the fastest path to profitability. Rod developed new tours with a focus on the fascinating historic personalities that shaped Omi.
Rod also recommended making walking and cycling tours using audio guide apps such as VoiceMap and Ride with GPS.
Adventure travel
Given that the Adventure Travel World Summit will be held in Japan in 2021, and that the corona pandemic has led to a new focus on healthy outdoor activities, Rod recommended that OTB develop adventure travel products using the outstanding natural and cultural resources of the region.
Personnel development
In order to publicise the work of OTB and to encourage local, public participation in the tourism business, such as guiding, Rod established a concierge system. The first step is to ensure that people know about the tourism resources of their region. Rod made an examination with 100 questions. The answers can be found in the content at Visit-Omi.com. Anybody who can answer 80% of the questions correctly is probably qualified to work as a guide in the area. Rod planned to validate the system in cooperation with Hikone High School, but unfortunately, disruption at the school due to corona made it impossible to schedule.
Organisational recommendations
There are many subsidies available now for new websites, and the cities and towns participating in OTB wanted to make their own ‘homepages’. Rod was concerned that this would lead to the breakup of the DMO and recommended that they pool their resources and work on a single, high-quality DMO website. He also suggested organisational changes to give the participants a stronger voice and sense of belonging in the DMO.
In the time that Rod worked as a consultant, he laid the foundations for OTB’s future success as an inbound destination.
