In Europe, ``rural tourism,'' a type of tourism that revitalizes an area by making use of comprehensive resources such as people, things, the environment, and culture accumulated in a region, is progressing. An example of this is agritourism or green tourism, where holidays are spent on farms or in rural areas.

South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is a disputed area between Austria and Italy, and as the region has won autonomy out of a sense of mission to revitalize its own region, the use of local resources and branding are active, and it has become a foundation for the development of rural tourism. It has become.

In Japan as well, there is a growing need for efforts to increase local value without relying on government subsidies. The town of Wazuka in Kyoto Prefecture, where Mr. Gobuta is involved as an advisor, has increased the number of tourists from 40,000 to over 200,000 by leveraging the local strengths such as Uji tea, a specialty product.

By holding various seminars in Wazuka Town, small businesses run by female farmers engaged in food processing have taken root. Support that promotes the independence and sustainability of people living in the community is essential for rural tourism. Mr. Goto is also supporting the establishment of promotion organizations not only in Kyoto but also in each region.

Through rural tourism, we think of the ``region'' rather than ``tourism.'' A region is a microcosm of the SDGs, colored by a variety of facts, from people's lives to the global environment to history. The know-how of rural tourism, which enhances the power of local communities, can be applied to all regions around the world, and is expected to bring new value that increases local sustainability.