Access to capital funding and other forms of financing is a vital element in the sustainability and competitiveness of SMEs. It allows SMEs, particularly in the tourism industry, to partake in the global economy and seize the opportunities accompanying globalization. We propose a method to address the question of how to empower SMEs participating in the tourism industry to have easy access to financing offered by commercial and universal banks. To address this, there is a need to survey SMEs engaged in the tourism industry and discuss with financial institutions on how to liberalize their policies to provide financing. A-priori results include the need to build the capacity of SMEs to become financially sustainable. Such will allow us to craft policy recommendations on how SMEs can gain and increase their access to financing.

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Japan has a privileged geographical location, unique landscape, abundant marine resources, and extensive social, historical and cultural resources. The country has a distinctive customer service based on welcoming hospitality known in Japanese as “omotenashi”, outstanding kindness and friendly service staff who work hard to satisfy the needs and demands of domestic and international tourists. However, international tourists have expressed concerns and frustrations with Japanese staff working at hotels, hostels and restaurants during their travels in the country due to their inability to communicate and cross-cultural sensibility. Tourism businesses would be able to maximize the opportunity of promoting and marketing local communities to increase the number of international tourists and to advertise the tourism destination and its branding. These efforts will increase economic development and the livelihood of local residents in the tourists’ destination while providing sustainability to the cultural and natural resources of the local communities. Japanese tourism businesses also need to invest in the human resources development by providing appropriate English and intercultural communication training to bridge the language and cross-cultural communication barriers with the international tourists for a satisfying tourists experience.

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