Walking Tourism Bonds Japan and France

In November 2015, ANA and CEEJA (Centre Européen d’Etudes Japonaises d’Alsace) formed an alliance to become a bridge between Japan and Europe.

As one initiative of the alliance, ANA Strategic Research Institute has been organizing ONSEN & Gastronomy Walking Tours since last year, which are modeled on the popular Gastronomic Walking Tours in Alsace.

On September 3, ANA Sales Co., Ltd. held the Alsace “Fureai” Friendship Walking Tour, in participation with CEEJA and the City of Colmar. A local newspaper that picked up on the event reported approximately 140 travelers from Japan walked the vineyards and beautiful villages with the locals.^(*)

An Omotenashi Seminar was also organized at the request of the Mulhouse Tourist Office, and representative director of ANA Strategic Research Institute, Hiroko Kawamoto gave a presentation. There is considerable interest in Japan among the residents of Mulhouse, which will be hosting the Bonsai World Convention next year. There were many questions from hotel and restaurant staff who were keen on learning how to approach visitors from Japan.

Participants of the gastronomic walking tour in the village of Barr in Alsace experienced a leisurely walk with wine and food along an eight kilometer course.

The ANA Group will draw on this experience for the ONSEN & Gastronomy Walking Tours in Japan, and will continue to contribute to regions in Japan and around the world.

Read more about ONSEN & Gastronomy Walking:
ONSEN & Gastronomy Walking Officially Launched with Events in Aso Uchimaki and Amakusa Shimoda Hot Springs
https://www.ana.co.jp/ana_news/en/2017/07/12/20170712-1.html

* At the Tourism EXPO Japan held at the end of September, 2017, the Alsace “Fureai” Friendship Walk won the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award, which is the grand prize of the Tour Grand Prix, and the ONSEN Gastronomy Tourism initiative won the Third Japan Tourism Award.