近年、オーバーツーリズムが深刻化する中、「ツーリストシップ」という新たな概念を提唱し、持続可能な観光の実現に向けて取り組んでいるのが一般社団法人ツーリストシップ代表理事の田中千恵子さんだ。
「スポーツマンシップ」や「フレンドシップ」のように、観光にも倫理観を——この想いはセミナー活動などを通して、日本、世界へと広がりつつある。

Touristship. It’s a good term that one would expect to find in an English dictionary but it’s actually a word created by a Japanese native. Chieko Tanaka is the social entrepreneur responsible for coining the term, which is now the name of her organization. But what exactly does touristship mean? “The short answer is it’s about being a responsible tourist,” explains Tanaka. “That’s someone who comes to a destination well prepared to abide by local rules, respect and enjoy the local community, and then leave without inflicting any damage on the landscape. We’ve all heard of good sportsmanship and friendship. I thought it was a good time to apply the same ethical standards to tourism.”

Tanaka should know — she spent her university and postgraduate years in Kyoto, one of the most visited tourist hot spots on the globe. A significant portion of Kyoto’s local residents are tourist-averse, the result of many years of excessive tourism that has choked the public transportation system, disrupted local businesses and in some cases, wreaked havoc on temples and gardens.

“In my junior year at Kyoto University in 2019, I became aware of the concept of overtourism and its negative impact on the locale. I decided to do something about it, because I myself had traveled extensively. I asked myself if I had ever been part of the problem and, to be honest, the answer was yes. Launching a startup that dealt with overtourism was my way of making amends.”

That same year, Tanaka created Chie-no-Wa, the predecessor to Touristship. “I wanted to use a more casual term than ‘responsible tourism,’ which sounds a little rigid. I hit upon ‘touristship’ as a word to describe what it is to be a good tourist. Now, even Japanese local governments have adopted it and I’m hoping the word will spread overseas.”

It was at Kyoto University, too, that Tanaka acquired the English skills necessary to run Touristship, attend international tourism conferences and exchange ideas with like-minded social entrepreneurs all over the world. “As with friendship, touristship works both ways. Ideally, the 21st-century tourist is gracious and considerate, while the local resident is helpful and welcoming. We’re hoping to define touristship as a two-way street where goodwill and consideration work in harmony. Most people have at one point been a traveler. We all know how good it feels to be accepted into a community, and for the community to welcome visitors.”

Tanaka is originally from the Kanto region. As a child, she spent four years in Taipei when her father was transferred there. “During that time my parents took me on trips all over Southeast Asia,” she says. “We had a lot of fun and I learned that travel was an exciting way to discover new cultures, people and values. I love traveling but I’m also super aware of the downside of going from one place to another with no regard for the people who live there.”

Tanaka says good touristship is also about using a little imagination.

“The residents in tourist hot spots like Kyoto have often lived there for generations and are committed to their community. They don’t leave just because overtourism has ruined their neighborhoods. It’s up to the visitors to understand and respect their lives, just as it is important for the residents to make the visitors feel at home.”

(Kaori Shoji)

Words to live by