With the beginning of national travel support, there is renewed interest in domestic travel.
JAL, which has offices throughout Japan, has been continuously implementing regional revitalization initiatives (currently the “JAL Furusato Project”). In August 2020, JAL launched the “JAL Furusato Ambassadors,” CAs selected from an internal competition to settle in local communities and promote regional initiatives. In August 2020, JAL established the “JAL Furusato Ambassadors,” CAs selected from an internal competition to promote regional initiatives by settling in local communities. The aim is to develop products and solve regional issues for hometowns and other regions with which they have ties, utilizing the knowledge they have accumulated as CAs.
We spoke with Yuki Taniguchi, a Hokkaido hometown ambassador who was involved in the “HOKKAIDO LOVE! Hitomeguri-go” excursion train, created in cooperation with JR Hokkaido, and the tour from the planning stage.
–What can you tell us about your initiatives?
The “HOKKAIDO LOVE! Hitomeguri-go” project was initiated by JR Hokkaido and JAL, two companies with different business models and corporate cultures, and the people of the region that the train will travel through, in the hope of revitalizing Hokkaido in 2021, when the number of sightseeing tourists was drastically declining.
HITOMEGURI” means “to meet” local “people” as one “tours” along the train line. This year again, beautiful trains in the colors of “Lavender” and “Hamanasu”, Hokkaido’s flowers, will travel through the autumn in Hokkaido. We hope you will join us on this journey filled with smiles and a little excitement.
–How are you involved in this effort?
Although flight time is limited on a flight, the Hitomeguri-go will take you with us for four long days and three nights, something you have never experienced before.
Although the environment is different from that of airplanes, we have been thinking about what we can do to make passengers feel comfortable and enjoy their time on the train as well. We have come up with a plan that allows passengers to enjoy “train travel” while creating a “JAL-like” atmosphere.
We are prepared to introduce the regions where the train stops in our own words, and “hometown messages” from local residents will be introduced in the style of “in-flight announcements. We hope that passengers will enjoy the “unprecedented collaboration between air and land” and the “discomfort of having JAL cabin attendants on the train.
–What is your message to the tour participants?
Last year’s “Hitomeguri-go” was well received for its “communication with local residents” and “time spent on the train, not just at the train windows.
Hokkaido offers countless beautiful sightseeing spots and delicious food, but we hope you will experience a new type of travel that is different from conventional Hokkaido sightseeing, one that can only be experienced on the “HITOMEGURI” train. We look forward to welcoming you on the “HOKKAIDO LOVE! Hitomeguri-go,” the result of the combined efforts of companies and communities that love Hokkaido.
© Source travel watch