Tourism ‘Touristship’ highlights challenges of overtourism in Kyoto and beyond

As Kyōto struggles with overtourism, a 25-year-old student, Chieko Tanaka, has introduced the concept of "touristship," applying the spirit of sportsmanship to encourage respectful travel behaviour. After moving to Kyōto in 2017 to study economics at Kyōto University, Tanaka saw how overcrowding and poor manners were affecting daily life. In 2019, she began interviewing hotels, temples and local businesses about their experiences with tourism. Reports ranged from inappropriate behaviour, such as cooking in kettles or taking photos in forbidden areas, to positive gestures like thank-you letters from guests. Motivated by these insights, Tanaka established the foundation for what is now the organisation Touristship, promoting better etiquette and awareness among travellers.

"Not all tourists are bad, but the breaching of manners is a problem. I think the negative effects on residents' lives can be mitigated if tourists hold a feeling of respect for the community," Tanaka recollected, thinking at the time. [...] As a result of her efforts, in 2021, she coined the term "touristship," which describes a mindset for tourists to strive for coexistence with the communities they visit during their travels. Some examples of touristship include "researching the manners of the region before visiting" and "following the tourist spot's methods of garbage disposal," as well as "actively consuming things locally made at the tourist spot."

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Some examples of touristship include "researching the manners of the region before visiting" and "following the tourist spot's methods of garbage disposal," as well as "actively consuming things locally made at the tourist spot."

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