As of 2023, the number of people infected with COVID-19 has decreased, and economic and tourism activities are being revitalized on a global scale. In Japan, COVID-19-related immigration restrictions have been lifted, and more foreigners and leisure tourists are entering Japan to enjoy sightseeing. Post-COVID-19, Japan’s representative tourist destinations are attracting attention due to their regional characteristics and activities that encourage visitors’ coexistence with local community members. This contributes to restoring the pre-COVID-19 vibrancy of tourism. Before COVID-19, famous tourist destinations such as Kyoto experienced over-tourism, a phenomenon in which the number of tourists was so large as to threaten the development of sustainable tourism in the area. Indeed, excessive influx to tourist destinations can have adverse effects on the environment and culture. This study examined new post-COVID-19 tourism revitalization activities aimed at avoiding a recurrence of negative situations caused by over-tourism as well as the occurrence of new undesirable situations caused by recent social change. This study focused on positive post-COVID-19 factors and considered new tourism revitalization activities comprising co-creative activities involving tourists and residents. This study paid attention to tourism revitalization activities in Kyoto City. Our previous quantitative analysis results showed that co-creative activities involving tourists and residents generated positive emotions. This study analyzed social media content about tourists’ and residents’ experiential activities such as the Kyoto Marche and the Kyoto Handmade Experience. This study also examined how experience-based tourism activities, especially those social media users described using verbs, generate positive emotions.

Authors:
Soji Lee, Tokai University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Soji Lee is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Tokai University in Japan

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