Firstly, thank you all for your continued support of our Association and its activities.

OTOA was officially licensed in August 1991, 19 years ago. Through the unstinting efforts of our Members and past Officers, the Association has reached its current position. Indeed, in response to the seemingly ever quickening pace of change in the world, OTOA has spent the past 5 years implementing a gradual generation-change. And this generation-change has not simply been a case of introducing younger people to the offices of the Association, but one of involving more of the Membership, and particularly those without previous experience i, in the day-to-day running of OTOA. and giving a new generation of future leaders in our sector the opportunity to understand the Association’s activities and aims through participation in our various Committees.

While it may be presumptuous in front of so many more experienced colleagues, at the outset of my period of leadership, kindly allow me to mention 3 topics which I feel are vital to the future health of the Land Operation Industry.

The fundamental underlying principle of our work is the provision of ‘Security & Safety’, understated by the mandate for ‘Provision of High-Quality Products and Services’. There are 3 major pillars in the Association’s Activity Plan for the coming year which relate directly to this.

(1) The first of these is the Improvement of the Provision of Information relating to Travel Safety.
OTOA’s Travel Safety Information has gained an extremely high reputation, both inside and outside our Industry, and now bears the weight of continuing expectation. This provision of Travel Safety Information has, in fact, become one of the fundamental roles of Land Operators. And, it is a role which can only be fulfilled with the co-operation of tour Membership, and their staff both in and outside Japan. In this respect, I ask all of our Members to continue and strengthen their co-operation in this area.

(2) The second activity is to undertake a renewed examination of the business relationships between the different sectors in the Travel Industry, specifically from the viewpoint of the new ‘Provision of High-Quality Products and Services’ mandate. 3 years ago, there was much talk of revising business practices within our Industry in view of the obvious gap between ‘Japanese Travel Business Protocols’ and ‘Global Standards’, but with the subsequent fall in demand for Overseas Travel, there is now no sign of this vaunted revision or improvement. Unless we take immediate action to bridge this gap, we face the clear and present threat that International Suppliers will further lose interest in, and ultimately cut adrift the Japanese Travel Industry.

(3) The third and final activity is the ‘Advancement of Collaboration’.
The outgoing Chairman, Mr. Yokichi Adachi, spoke often on the need for ‘Collaboration’ across the Travel Business, and it goes without saying that Travel involves a large number of processes, from planning, through production to the actual travel, and an even larger number of suppliers, from Travel Agencies, through Tourism Organisations, Land Operators, Hotels, Tour Escorts and DMCs to the travelling customer. It is impossible for a single organization to fulfill all of the roles involved in our Industry, which only reinforces the fact that the provision of Good Quality Travel products can only be achieved through a close collaboration of companies across these sectors, born of mutual co-operation and respect.

Simple as they are, these are the 3 pillars on which the Association will develop its activities in the coming year, and I will make every effort to ensure that they are realized. This cannot, of course, be achieved by my efforts, or even those of the Association’s Officers alone, so in closing, I ask you all for your continued support for and co-operation in OTOA’s activities in the year ahead.

Thank you!

Takahiko Ohata, Chairman