【Urgent Interview】Major Travel Agency Confirms Support Response for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake – What is the Social Responsibility Perspective (CSR) of the Travel Industry?
On the afternoon of Thursday, January 4, 2024, the Yoi Tabi News Editorial Department held a hearing with major travel agencies about their support activities for the "Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Reiwa 6". In addition to confirming the thoughts of major travel agencies that do business in the region, it also expresses the meaning of expecting future support.
| First of all, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the victims of the "Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Reiwa 6" that occurred on New Year's Day. I would also like to express my deepest sympathies to all those affected by the disaster. I feel sad when I see the current situation of the Noto area, which I have visited many times, on TV. In the future, as a tourism news site, we would like to actively disseminate information during the travel recovery period in each region (Editorial Department). |
This survey confirmed how major travel agencies doing business in the region are trying to fulfill their social responsibility (CSR) and whether they are preparing for the disaster of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Reiwa 6, which was a disaster that faced the region including tourist spots. Major travel agencies are also developing businesses such as providing travel products in the Hokuriku area and the Noto Peninsula, and entrusting public works for tourism administration in disaster-stricken areas.
As a result of the hearing, Currently, JTB is considering a system that allows donations with its own travel points So, I couldn't hear about the basic policy or support plan from other travel agencies. This is partly due to the fact that the business starts today, but considering the position of the travel agency, I was expecting that the three days were moving a little.
[Results of the hearing]
- JTB is considering a donation system for "JTB Travel Points" (e.g. Maui Wildfire Recovery Support ）
- KNT-CT Holdings... Under consideration.
- Japan Travel... We are gathering local information. It will be considered for the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga.
- Tobu Top Tours... First of all, grasp the current situation.
- Hankyu Transportation Corporation... I'm going to think about it.
- HIS… Nothing in particular.
- JAL Pack... If you do, the JAL Group will handle it.
- ANA X… Telephone loss (1 time).
- JR Tokai Tours... I couldn't contact the relevant department.
- Meitetsu Tourism Service... Depending on the movements of industry associations and parent companies.
- Recruit / Jalan net (OTA)... Information gathering.
| * In the 10th place in sales, we conducted a hearing by phone confirmation. * Other OTAs (Rakuten Travel and foreign capital) do not conduct interviews on the assumption that it will be difficult to obtain answers because the contact point is an email or an agency. |
With the exception of JTB, we do not yet know whether or not each company will respond in the future. In both cases, I got the impression that there was no basic policy in place to support the occurrence of disasters in the region on a daily basis. On the other hand, major travel agencies that develop business utilizing the local community are considered to be industries that are always aware of their social responsibility to the local community, and it is considered that they want to be the first voice and concrete action to encourage the local community as soon as possible, such as coordinating with management, public relations departments, and each branch on certain activity policies, including on-site tourism crisis management responses.
Leading companies in other industries GMO and LINE Yahoo! JAPAN Other IT companies quickly established a system for accepting support funds, and voices of gratitude were raised on SNS. In addition, the Japan Bakery Association has established a system in which member companies (Yamazaki Bakery, Shikishima Bakery, and Fujipan) cooperate to deliver relief supplies to the local area in the event of a disaster, and has received praise. Of the three organizations representing the travel industry, one of them released the information on New Year's Day Thoughts at the beginning of the year I will only add a few sentences to the .
During the Corona disaster, fraud in the travel industry was one after another in public works, etc., and trust and confidence fell ( Original research ）。 Considering this (in the travel industry as a whole), it may be necessary now to reflect on the misconduct and prevent recurrence as a matter of course, grasp the current situation, and communicate positively to support the reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
The Hokuriku region will celebrate the opening of Tsuruga Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in March 2024. In reality, the purpose is to send travelers to the area beyond "Kanazawa Station", which was connected to the Noto area. Against this backdrop, how will travel agencies handle this and contribute to the reconstruction and development of the Noto region?
Major travel agencies have benefited from the pandemic travel support and the V-shaped recovery in travel, and people are in place. In the case of reconstruction support for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, rather than relying on the national government's reconstruction budget, maximizing our own efforts and explaining their meanings is the only way to truly restore trust in the travel industry and fulfill our social responsibilities as a regional player.
Effective support for the Noto Peninsula and the Hokuriku region should become a symbol of the company's stance of coexistence and co-prosperity with the local community. In the future, every move of major travel agencies will be closely watched.