There are many jobs in the world, and in the world and environment we do not know, people we don't know are working on various tasks. However, even if you are working in a different way or different from you, you may feel troubled, feel rewarding, and share your hardships and joy with your friends .... The thoughts may be the same. No, but the same. In this series, I will convey the realistic appearance of the people who work there in various jobs.

The first time this time, I am Yuichi Hayashi, an employee of <Gunma Prefecture Minamikami Town Tourism Association>, who works on PR and tourism promotion in the town.

Mr. Hayashi was born and raised as a son of a guest house in "Sarugakyo Onsen" located in Minakami Town. After graduating from high school, I left the local area and worked for an advertising agency in Gunma and spent a good day, but two years ago I was hired by the Tourism Association as a staff member and I will work in my home town.

"I was not dissatisfied with my previous job, the contents of my work were fun and fulfilling, and I never thought I would quit. If you have an opportunity ahead, I was thinking to the extent ... ... "

しかし、その機会が思っていたよりも早く訪れます。みなかみに住んでいた知人から「みなかみ町観光協会が職員を募集しているので、応募してみないか」と誘いを受けたのです。

Mr. Hayashi said he had no idea what he would do at a tourist association or what skills would be useful. But why did you decide to dive into the world of tourism, which is an unknown field? It was the "Japanese version DMO" that I saw in the newspaper by chance.

DMO stands for "Destination Management Organization". A community-based organization that works in cooperation with local governments and residents to promote tourism and the development of tourism areas, and is an organization that handles the steering of tourism from a managerial point of view. In Japan, the Tourism Agency has been actively promoting it as “Japanese version DMO” from around 2016. The existence of DMO has transformed "local" and "tourism" into familiar ones in Mr. Hayashi.

"I know that I am the son of a guest house, and Minakami Town is an inseparable town from sightseeing. I did not understand exactly what DMO was at that time, but everyone agreed for the region I understand that I'm united and trying to tackle big movements in earnest, I don't know what I can do, but I also wanted to get involved and I wanted to try more.

採用試験を受けているタイミングで、みなかみ町も日本版DMOに申請。現在林さんは、DMOを推進していく部署である観光戦略課に所属しています。

What kind of work does an organization called a tourist association do? It may not be generally well-known, but it may be an image such as "in the tourist information center". In fact, the contents of the business are diverse, and Mr. Hayashi also smiles, "I did not expect to be so busy."

First of all, it is PR activity of sightseeing of town to have to work on.

イベント情報や取り組みを、プレスリリースなどを通してマスコミなどに届けたり、取材を依頼するといったことは、観光協会であれば当然の仕事。さらに、みなかみ町の観光協会は、観光事業者や町役場などが個々に発信してきた観光情報を一元化する役割も担っており、情報発信に不可欠なウェブサイト（写真・下）やSNSの運用も行っています。

"When I just came, there were websites, but SNS such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. were almost unworked for a while. I was in charge for a while, but now thanks to the excellent personnel respectively The number of followers has been steadily increasing, and we have taken a lot of places in the town and made very high quality posts. "

And most important is the role as "the secretariat" to promote DMO in Minakami Town. In Minakami Town, we set up a strategic meeting where towns, tourism associations and businesses gather, and in that we set up multiple committees and examine and propose various measures. It is the tourism association that receives the proposal by the committee and corresponds to the practice.

例えば、町のブランディングを検討するブランド委員会では、取り組みのひとつとして、“観光協会のロゴマーク”を作成。PR用のポスターなどには、このロゴマークを必ず用いるなど、統一されたブランドでの情報発信を推進しています。みなかみ町の象徴ともいえる、谷川岳にある絶壁・一ノ倉沢から流れる「水」をイメージできるよう、「Water Shangri-La」というキャッチコピーを入れたロゴマークが完成しました。

The Digital Marketing Committee works on a variety of tasks, such as creating videos for PRing towns and strengthening the website, and the Inbound Committee conducts sales activities to five countries, mainly in Asia.

「従来の観光協会であれば、ここまでやらないのかもしれません。しかし、観光はただ外からお客さまが来るだけのことではなく、町の人たちの暮らし、町の環境に深く影響することです。そのことは皆さんも漠然とはわかっているのですが、観光協会は町のために責任感と使命感を持って観光と向き合う必要があります。何も知らずに飛び込んだ世界ですが、自分の故郷でそんな重要な仕事ができることを、とても嬉しく感じているんです」

Mr. Hayashi, who works on tourism promotion, places the most emphasis on "raising brand value in the town of Minakami". There, people who live in Minakami feel proud of the town, so that they can say confidently that "Minamikami is a good place"-the brand of Minakami town is proud of the townspeople themselves I want you to make it-such thoughts are also included.

"I was originally at the beginning, but surprisingly everyone in the town is also unaware of the local area. I was a guest house with a hot spring, so 18 hot springs, which is also one of the attractions of all. I have never been there, and I tried for the first time last year on various activities such as mountain climbing and rafting at Tanigawadake, which is really fun for me. I want you to know, to those who think that "there is nothing in everyone", I want you to feel that "there is no such thing, it is such a good place."

There have already been a number of specific initiatives to increase the brand value of the town. The creation of the above-mentioned logo mark is also part of that. Furthermore, in 2017, ecological conservation and sustainable use of nature were harmonized, and it was recognized as "UNESCO Eco Park (Biosphere Reserve)" as a region where nature and human beings coexist (Photo below Certificate plate). The activities of cultivating fields and managing and maintaining tourism resources such as mountains and hot springs have always been carried out until now, but it should be proud of being a place with an environment recognized by the world Mr. Hayashi talks about things.

"Recognizing the greatness of water and being recognized as an eco park does not mean that the number of tourists will suddenly increase. However, having the water that moisturizes the Kanto area and having an environment recognized by the world Things lead to confidence, pride, and branding of the town, and I want everyone in the town to know what that means, and it is the role of the tourism association to keep it informed even if you don't understand it right away I think it's

2018年4月には、町民向けのみなかみ町観光協会広報紙『Find your oasis.』を制作。町の人たちにみなかみの魅力や素晴らしさを、より具体的に伝える活動をスタート。こうした活動が、いつしか町の人たちの理解や自信につながり、いつの日か、誰もが胸を張って「ぜひみなかみに来てください」と言えるようになると、林さんは信じています。

It's not really "I don't know well, but I'm sure there's a place that's said to be a tourist attraction ...", but if everyone can say "I'll introduce you a wonderful place I know" Tourism rooted in the area should always be achievable. "

Mr. Hayashi, who continues to work in various ways, the Tourism Association must not go through the direction or move anything, but must take a stance of "improving the brand image of Minakami with the people of the town" thinking about.

It is meaningless to leave all the people behind and only walk around for the purpose of sightseeing. Certainly, it is one purpose that the town is busy with sightseeing and lots of customers come. However, this is not the ultimate goal, and it can not be said that tourism for the region in a true sense has been realized unless it aims at a goal that everyone in the town would have liked.

なにより、人がいてこその観光。どれだけ観光資源のクオリティが上がっても、そこに根差す地元の人たちの反応が悪ければ、観光客が楽しむことはできないでしょう。町の人たちの思いをどこまで汲み取ることができるか、林さんは模索し続けています。

"My job now is to work hard with you, thinking about proposals that make the town soar in a steady way, and working hard with you. I will do my best to be recognized as a companion."

Mr. Hayashi said that asking people from the town for cooperation is the driving force behind their work. When I said "Good" and "Thank you", I said that I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

"I don't want the people in the town to feel" good ", not whether I was rated. I think that the work of the tourism association is that sort of thing"

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