JARTA's International Certification Schemes
When the efforts of "Points, Lines, and Planes" unite, a globally recognized sustainable tourism destination is born.
To develop tourism in a sustainable manner, management (administration and operation) across the entire region is essential. JARTA emphasizes a three-pronged approach: "Points, Lines, and Planes."
Point: Mindset reform and action by each tourism-related business operator. Ensuring that accommodation facilities, restaurants, and tour operators act with sustainability as their core focus within their respective roles.
Line: The process of travel agencies connecting scattered, valuable "Points" to build a regional story for travelers. Linking distinct, attractive operators (Points) together with a line to create a travel itinerary (route) that effectively conveys the history and culture of the region.
Plane: Strong governance that manages the whole and positions tourism as a priority for local administration and the entire community. Building a robust management system (governance) where local authorities and the entire community work as one to control tourism, rather than leaving it to a select few.
Toward the Mandate of "Sustainability Education" as the Foundation for Everything
The common foundation required to make these elements function effectively is "Sustainability Education." Just like learning to read and write in early childhood, this must be a "basic language (common rule)" acquired at the very initial stage by business operators, local residents, and travelers involved in tourism.
Nurturing the spirit of "Touristship"—where people learn together and take responsible actions—is the key to passing down the region's DNA to the next generation and enriching the entire community.
To establish this foundation nationwide, we must have the resolve to explicitly integrate this education into the social system. Specifically, completing sustainability education programs should be made mandatory when accommodation facilities and travel agencies obtain or renew their business licenses, as well as within training programs for tour guides.
Only when the roots of education run deep can the "Points" grow strong, draw beautiful "Lines," and envelop the entire region as a sustainable "Plane."
"Global Standards" represent the collective wisdom of the world, thoroughly thought out for the sake of the Earth.
Green Key, Travelife, and Blue Flag. All of these frameworks managed by JARTA are rigorous international certifications. You might initially perceive them as "complicated foreign rules," but the reality is quite the opposite.
This is the ultimate bible for creating and protecting sustainable tourism destinations—meticulously thought out and refined over many years by people worldwide asking, "How can we continue to travel while protecting the Earth we love?" There is no need to struggle from scratch. It is about gently blending this globally proven wisdom with the unique character of Japan's local regions.
That exactly represents JARTA's three-pronged approach of "Points, Lines, and Planes"—using tourism as a means to enrich and protect our communities.
Transforming starting from a single facility, a single private enterprise.
The smallest yet most solid foundation for creating a sustainable tourism region is the "Point."
The "Green Key" promoted by JARTA is a micro-approach where individual accommodation facilities and private enterprises play the leading roles. Rather than waiting for administrative action, a single "Point" steers toward environmental measures of its own accord. The agility and passion unique to the private sector serve as the primary driving force for everything.
Connecting isolated points into a travel story.
No matter how wonderful individual "Points" are, if they exist in isolation, harmony as a tourism destination cannot be achieved.
JARTA positions "Travelife," which targets travel agencies and tour operators, as the "Line" that connects these points. Accommodations, transportation, and local experiences—by linking "Point" to "Point" with a line of proper intention from a professional perspective, the entire travel process transforms into a system that pays respect to the region.
Enveloping with local residents, administration, and the entire community.
The existence of the "Plane" envelops the initiatives of private enterprises (Points) and travel agencies (Lines) within a much larger, comprehensive layer.
The "Blue Flag" deployed by JARTA is a macro-framework implemented collectively by municipalities, local residents, and regional communities for beaches and marinas. We design the infrastructure and rules of the entire region—which cannot be reached by individual initiatives (Points) alone—into a beautiful "Plane."
Once the mindset is nurtured, protecting that environment becomes "second nature."
The "Point, Line, and Plane" scheme promoted by JARTA. To operate this world-class framework and connect tourism destinations to tomorrow, there is an indispensable emotional foundation required.
That is "Touristship," advocated by our partner organization, the General Incorporated Association Touristship. It is the "mindset of caring for and respecting the destinations we visit" that both travelers and hosts should hold in their hearts.
There is no need to bind people with strict rules to "protect the environment." If this kindness is nurtured within each person's heart, treasuring and showing consideration for the land they love becomes a completely natural and "taken-for-granted" behavior.
JARTA establishes the structural framework (Hard), while Touristship nurtures the mindset (Soft). We deeply respect each other's activities and place this noble spirit at the core of all our programs to co-create the future of sustainable tourism.
