Abstract
Amid growing interest in green tourism, school trips involving experiential and interactive tourism have recently attracted attention in education and other settings. This paper examines initiatives in experiential educational travel by the Hiroshima Bay Area Marine Metropolitan Research Council (HBAC). We uncovered the factors driving this growth while charting the initiatives' progress and analyzing the structure underpinning their expansion.
Leading organizations' promotion expertise and price-setting experience together with support from Hiroshima Prefecture helped drive growth. Children living in cities experienced the authenticity of rural communities through their history, nature, people, and lifestyles, and rediscovered the value of these communities. Their feedback engendered pride and self-confidence among residents, and this interaction created a virtuous cycle of positive impressions. Discovery of the value of communities through learning and the new value provided to communities were the most important factors in the rapid growth of experiential educational travel led by the HBAC.
