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HAP also has projects that involve the entire company working together.
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This is my HOKKAIDO LOVE! Festival
An event was held near Tokyo Station on Saturday, November 26th and Sunday, November 27th, 2022. The "This is My HOKKAIDO LOVE! Festival" (hereafter referred to as the HL Festival) promoted air routes and promoted the attractions of Hokkaido, with the aim of attracting more visitors to Hokkaido, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The HL Festival has been held every year since then, and we spoke to an HAP employee who has been involved in the festival since its inception about his thoughts at the time and his outlook for the future.
MEMBER
Head Office Business Development Headquarters
Tourism Development Department, Tourism Development Division
Mr. S
Obihiro Airport Office
Administration Department, General Affairs Division
Mr. N
The local governments of Hokkaido's seven airports and HAP are working together
New event to attract visitors launched
It was first confirmed in the country in January 2020 COVID-19. The outbreak quickly became so intense that people's activities were severely restricted. In May 2022, restrictions on travel were lifted for the first time in three years, but it was thought that it would be some time before air travel demand recovered. The 10 municipalities (Chitose, Tomakomai, Wakkanai, Kushiro, White Rock, Hakodate, Asahikawa, Higashikagura, Obihiro, and Ookacho), which operate the seven airports in Hokkaido, formed the "Hokkaido Tourism Promotion Executive Committee" and, with the help of subsidies from Hokkaido, organized the first tourism promotion event. The first event was planned with the help of subsidies from Hokkaido. Mr. N, who belonged to the Regional Symbiosis Division at the time, was in charge of communicating with local governments, while Mr. S and his team from the Tourism Development Division worked out the specifics of the event. Since this was our first event, we had to make everything up as we went along," said N. "It was really handmade," said S. "We just kept working on it by ourselves. We just kept working on it by ourselves," recalls Mr. N. Mr. S. "It was our first event, so we had to create everything by hand.
Rather than ending it as a one-off event
Sharing the recognition that continuity is important
The first HL Festival, mentioned at the beginning, was held at "TOKYO TORCH Park" at the Yaesu exit of Tokyo Station. "The theme was PR for each of the seven airports and areas. The venue was filled with a lively atmosphere, as Mr. S said, "We exhibited a booth like a festival, highlighted the charm of Hokkaido's winter with oversized photo panels, and had many local characters appear in Hokkaido." As Mr. N said, "The experience of touching the real drift ice that arrives every day from Abashiri and the curling experience of Kitami were also popular Obihiro, and the Banma life-size balloon of Nobanei Horse Racing was also popular," the HL Festival, where you can simulate the charm of Hokkaido, was a success. Although it was not a crowded outdoor space in a business district on holidays, it attracted well over 3,000 visitors in two days. The members of the executive committee felt a great response. They shared the recognition that it is important to continue rather than just a one-off incident. "I thought it was also very meaningful for the airport management company and the local government to work together," the two said.
Talk shows, select shops, etc.
The venue content is also expanding
The second HL Festival in 2023 will move to MARK IS Minatomirai in Yokohama, and the event will be extended to three days, from Friday, October 20th to Sunday, October 22nd. In light of the fact that the global adventure travel event "ATWS" was held in Hokkaido in September of that year, the theme was Hokkaido's nature, food, and activities. The guests invited to the talk show were Tadatsugu Fujimura and Masamichi Ureshino, directors of HTB (Hokkaido Television), organizers of the camping event "Koko Camp Hokkaido." "Fujimura and Ureshino are nationally famous for their work on the TV show 'Wednesday Dodesho.' I was surprised by the number of attendees who brought Dodesho merchandise and towels," said Mr. N. The "Hokkaido Camping & Sauna Talk Show," which delved into the various aspects of Hokkaido amid the show's laid-back atmosphere, was a huge hit, and the two will return in 2024. The select shop, featuring a lineup of over 100 carefully selected items exclusively for the HL Festival, also proved popular. Furthermore, starting this year, a 15-page guidebook has also been distributed to visitors. "We planned this with a senior colleague from the department I was working in at the time, and it includes tourist information for the seven airport areas, recommended campsites and saunas around Hokkaido, and more. I think we've created something that people can enjoy even after they get home," says Mr. S.
The third event was the first to be held in the Kansai region.
Airlines also exhibit
The third HL Festival, held on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd, 2024, was the first to be held in the Kansai region. "New Chitose Hakodate operate year-round in the Kansai region, while Kushiro, Asahikawa, and Memanbetsu operate seasonally. We wanted to promote Hokkaido's airports to the people of the Kansai region, which would lead to the development of new routes," said Mr. N. The venue was the Umekita SHIP Hall near Osaka Station. Unlike the open venues seen in previous years, which attracted a lot of people, this was an indoor venue. Since the festival required visitors to attend solely for the HL Festival, there were concerns about attracting visitors. "We were worried about the heavy rain on the first day, but we still managed to attract over 2,000 people over the two days," said Mr. S. It was also the first time in the third year that an airline exhibited a booth. "We had collaborated with them before, but this was the first time they actually exhibited a booth, and we were able to further attract visitors to Hokkaido," said Mr. N. Starting with Sapporo City (Okadama Airport), which has been a partner since the first year, various local companies and organizations have also cooperated to enrich the content. The HL Festival is packed with content that has been refined using past experience, such as the popular Hokkaido product corner, workshops, and stamp rally lottery, and the results were evident in the visitor survey. "When asked if this event made them want to visit Hokkaido, an astounding 98.8% answered yes," both said happily.
With an eye on expanding overseas in the future
Preparations underway for the fourth event
The HL Festival has grown with each passing year, incorporating visitor surveys and stakeholder feedback. What's planned for 2025? According to N, "We're currently compiling opinions and surveys, and we're still discussing what to do next." They're currently busy compiling an implementation report. S, speaking realistically, said, "We're talking about Nagoya and Fukuoka. Maybe we could go back to our roots and do something in the Tokyo metropolitan area." N, meanwhile, offered a vision: "We'd like to do it overseas in the future. Considering our plans to expand international flights routes to seven airports in the future, I think it would be good to promote Hokkaido travel abroad, especially in Asia." Since this event aims to raise awareness of Hokkaido, we hope to attract many people to Hokkaido and lead to new routes. The two, who have been deeply involved since its inception, demonstrate exceptional teamwork. While the event itself aims to promote air routes and Hokkaido's attractions, it also serves as an opportunity to deepen ties with the company and local governments. "I think it's very meaningful that people from 10 cities and towns and HAP employees are joining forces toward a common goal at the same venue," says Mr. N. The HL Festival will no doubt continue to develop in various ways.
