ID :
19268
Fri, 09/12/2008 - 21:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/19268
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FOCUS: Enthusiasm for tourism education mounting
TOKYO, Sept. 12 Kyodo - The number of colleges and universities fostering personnel related to tourism, such as hotel clerks and overseas tour escorts, is increasing and expected to total 40 by next April with an enrollment of more than 4,000 students.
In the background is ''tourism education enthusiasm'' in which students believe that the study of tourism looks good on their resume as the government is trying to increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan to 10 million a year.
According to the education ministry, 37 colleges and universities had tourism and ''hospitality'' departments as of April this year with an enrollment of 3,900 students, six times larger than 10 years before.
Next April, Asia University in Musashino in Tokyo and two other universities in the metropolitan area plan to open tourism-related departments. The universities have already applied for permission to the ministry, and if the plans are realized, the number of such schools will reach 40 with an enrollment of 4,247 students.
The government started the ''Visit Japan Campaign'' in April 2003 to boost the annual number of foreigners visiting Japan to 10 million in 10 years because many more Japanese were visiting foreign locales than foreigners were visiting Japan. In 2003, foreign visitors to Japan totaled 5.21 million but the number increased to 8.35 million last year.
The government also decided on a basic plan to turn Japan into a large tourism country in June last year with a fresh target to increase tourism-related consumption from 24 trillion yen in fiscal 2005 to 30 trillion yen in five years. A Tourism Agency will also be inaugurated next month.
An official of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said, ''If these objectives are realized, the tourism industry is expected to become activated, and demand for personnel with specialized knowledge and high technology will grow.'' For colleges and universities, their popularity among applicants is expected to increase if tourism-major graduates fare well.
Shumei University in Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture, which plans to open a tourism department next year, said, ''Students will polish up their language ability by studying in Britain for one year.''
Shoin University in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, said, ''In tie-ups with local governments which have tourism spots in their territories, we will study how to develop the areas.'' Thus, the two universities will try to foster personnel who can excel in jobs at hotels and travel companies.
A transport ministry survey found that about 23 percent of 4,200 students who graduated from tourism-related departments between fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2006 found jobs in the tourism industry, inns and hotels, and railway companies.
Employees at domestic travel agencies and lodging facilities number about 180,000. The ministry believes the number will rise further and is asking the travel industry to accept student interns during the summer vacation.
But one official with a large travel agency said, ''Knowledge can be obtained after being employed, and we judge students chiefly by their personal character, not their graduating departments.''
Akiko Morozumi, a lecturer on private school management in the graduate school of the University of Tokyo, said, ''From the standpoint of the company, it's easy for job seekers to apply for positions in the tourism industry.''
''But the number of such job seekers will decline unless improved educational content accompanies a change in the name of the department,'' she said.
In the background is ''tourism education enthusiasm'' in which students believe that the study of tourism looks good on their resume as the government is trying to increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan to 10 million a year.
According to the education ministry, 37 colleges and universities had tourism and ''hospitality'' departments as of April this year with an enrollment of 3,900 students, six times larger than 10 years before.
Next April, Asia University in Musashino in Tokyo and two other universities in the metropolitan area plan to open tourism-related departments. The universities have already applied for permission to the ministry, and if the plans are realized, the number of such schools will reach 40 with an enrollment of 4,247 students.
The government started the ''Visit Japan Campaign'' in April 2003 to boost the annual number of foreigners visiting Japan to 10 million in 10 years because many more Japanese were visiting foreign locales than foreigners were visiting Japan. In 2003, foreign visitors to Japan totaled 5.21 million but the number increased to 8.35 million last year.
The government also decided on a basic plan to turn Japan into a large tourism country in June last year with a fresh target to increase tourism-related consumption from 24 trillion yen in fiscal 2005 to 30 trillion yen in five years. A Tourism Agency will also be inaugurated next month.
An official of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said, ''If these objectives are realized, the tourism industry is expected to become activated, and demand for personnel with specialized knowledge and high technology will grow.'' For colleges and universities, their popularity among applicants is expected to increase if tourism-major graduates fare well.
Shumei University in Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture, which plans to open a tourism department next year, said, ''Students will polish up their language ability by studying in Britain for one year.''
Shoin University in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, said, ''In tie-ups with local governments which have tourism spots in their territories, we will study how to develop the areas.'' Thus, the two universities will try to foster personnel who can excel in jobs at hotels and travel companies.
A transport ministry survey found that about 23 percent of 4,200 students who graduated from tourism-related departments between fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2006 found jobs in the tourism industry, inns and hotels, and railway companies.
Employees at domestic travel agencies and lodging facilities number about 180,000. The ministry believes the number will rise further and is asking the travel industry to accept student interns during the summer vacation.
But one official with a large travel agency said, ''Knowledge can be obtained after being employed, and we judge students chiefly by their personal character, not their graduating departments.''
Akiko Morozumi, a lecturer on private school management in the graduate school of the University of Tokyo, said, ''From the standpoint of the company, it's easy for job seekers to apply for positions in the tourism industry.''
''But the number of such job seekers will decline unless improved educational content accompanies a change in the name of the department,'' she said.
