Tourism Development and Changes in the Tourism Image of Itoshima Region, Japan

Abstract

Contemporary tourism destinations and their images are dynamic. Additionally, in the sociology of tourism, the traditional host-guest dichotomy is becoming less pronounced, as evidenced by the ability of social media audiences to shape new tourist destinations. Based on these facts, this study examined tourism development and changes in the tourism image of the Itoshima region of Fukuoka, Japan through fieldwork, a literature review, and a media analysis.

Until the mid-1990s, Itoshima was a farming and fishing village that was not recognized as a tourist destination. However, in the early 2010s, the development of food tourism, centered on the oyster farming industry, gradually made Itoshima a daytrip destination accessible by car from the Fukuoka metropolitan area.

At that time, regional media, such as town magazines, were“ discovering” exotic cafes along the coastline and on beaches. They symbolically associated these places with the tropics and began to feature them. By the mid-2010s, non-region-specific media, such as national-scale travel magazines and social media, had expanded the formerly region-specific images. Itoshima became associated with the tropical symbols of cafes, palm tree swings, beaches, and seafood bowls.

Social media further expanded this new image. Such expansion has been possible because of the intersection of cultural producers and audiences. Furthermore, the formation of a collective tourist gaze on digital platforms and the agency of the tourism image itself have precipitated the transformation of the identity of Itoshima region.