George and Shaun (G&S), a co-creation system developer of Japan, launched a new tourism service named ‘Tabi wa hitomakase (Travel depends on local people in English),’ in which local residents provide travelers with local experiences that only they know. The co-creation project is joined by two local governments each in Ehime Prefecture and Kochi Prefecture and three private companies of Club Tourism, Daiko and Soramachi Ishizuchi.
Local residents as ‘casts’ share local lives and experiences with travelers as ‘guests,’ which is expected to provide deeper connections with people with travelers.
A digital platform for two-way communications on online and in person is also formed to encourage travelers to build connections among travelers and with local residents even after a tour.
G&S is responsible for digital services connecting between local residents and travelers and design of the whole service. Also, the project is supported by Club Tourism for training of casts and creation of tour product, by Daiko for promotions and by Soramachi Ishizuchi for communications with local residents.
