The government entered a final adjustment to the date of the ministries of tourism meeting, which is to be held in association with the 20 countries/regions (G20) summit meeting in Kutchan town in the Shiribeshi jurisdiction in 2019, for 24 October 2019. A preparatory meeting of the vice minister level will also be held in Kutchan between May and June with an expectation to enhance the recognition of the town’s popular international resort district, Niseko Hirafu – revealed by several government officials on Wednesday, 26 June.
The ministerial meeting was initially to be organised between May and September whilst the town requested the government to avoid the high season from July to August as the usage of accommodation for tourists would be restricted due to security reasons during the event. The government wishes to minimize the influence on the town’s tourism business by setting the meeting on a weekday, 24 October. An international tourism event, which is scheduled to be held from October 24 to 27 in Osaka and overlaps with the ministerial meeting, was also considered for the arrangement of the date to allow concerned parties from each country to participate in the event for consecutive days.
For the meeting venue, a facility in Niseko HANAZONO Resort is considered to be the most promising and condominiums in the Niseko Hirafu area will be used for accommodation for the expected 200-300 attendees.
Regarding a preparatory meeting also being held in the town, an official close to the prime minister said, “It will be a great opportunity for Kutchan to be provided multiple occasions to appeal its attractiveness to important figures in tourism business from around the world”.
(Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, 27 June 2018)
