Abstract
Ski resorts have developed in Japan’s mountainous highland tourism areas. When the ski boom collapsed, these accommodation venues faced financial difficulties because of declining tourist numbers. They adopted countermeasures such as accepting school camps and foreign tourists, but the tourism industry was subsequently affected by shrinking school camp programs, compounded by the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the impact of declining school camp programs and the survival management strategies adopted by accommodation venues and tourism organizations by examining the case of Yabu City’s Hachi Highlands in the Hyogo Prefecture. The ski resort area began to develop in the traditional settlement in the low-altitude area, but, as mountain skiing became popular, the center of the resort moved to a higher elevation in the Hachi Highlands as further development occurred. The resort area consists of diverse types of accommodation, each of which pursues varied countermeasures to counter the crisis of declining tourist numbers. If such countermeasures prove successful, accommodation venues in the Hachi Highlands can overcome the impact of shrinking school camp programs and the COVID-19 pandemic.
