Remarks of Consul-General Hidenobu Sobashima at the JNTO Snow & Adventure Seminar on Monday 21 May 2012
The Hon Brad Battin, Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Japan in Victoria,
Mr Yukio Yamashita, Executive Director of Japan National Tourism Organization for Australia,
Participants from Japanese and Australian snow sports travel industries,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to address you at the JNTO Snow & Adventure Seminar.
The tourism relationship between Australia and Japan has a remarkable history.
Naturally, however, the tourism businesses in Japan have suffered, as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami last year, as explained by Mr Yamashita just now.
I should like to avail myself of this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude to the Government and people of Australia for their sincere sympathy and massive support after that disaster.I hear that the Melbourne Skiing and Snowboarding Community, among other Australians, conducted Operation Ski Tomodachi to raise funds.
Now the affected areas are firmly on their way to recovery and Japan as a whole is fully open for more business and travel.
A love of sports and outdoor activities is a well-known characteristic of Australian people and this characteristic extends to winter sports.
Many Australians have made it routine to ski in Japan, and I hear that about one third of them are Victorians.
I also hear that Australian visitors to places such as Niseko sometimes get the impression that there are more Australian skiers there than at Mt Hotham or Mt Buller.
Today we have representatives from Nagano Prefecture and the Cities of Tokyo and Kyoto as well as the Japanese ski resorts of Hakuba, Shiga, Nozawa, Myoko and Appi.
Aren’t they sufficient choices for you?
I hope that all participants will take full advantage of this seminar.
Thank you.