Kunisaki City may be small and have a quite old population, but there are people who are trying to revitalise the area, and bring tourism there. One example of this is the new cafe/Airbnb that has been built. This specific Airbnb was opened recently with the aim to provide more accommodation options for tourists staying in Kunisaki. This Airbnb is especially popular with foreign tourists, such as Korean and Taiwanese. Airbnb is a great service to use, as it enables you to not only stay in a place, but also meet the local host that owns the place. They can give you suggestions about the local area, help you get to the area, and can do many other things for you. In a place like Kunisaki, where there isn’t a large selection of hotels and places to stay (especially for foreigners), Airbnb is a great, simple and cheap way to book accommodation here. By staying in this Airbnb, you are also enabling this business to develop. With the more people staying here, the more the place can invest and develop, in turn developing Kunisaki as a whole.

​

Here is a link to the Airbnb mentioned before: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23950442 

 

   With the advancements of the internet comes these new services, such as Airbnb. However, Kunisaki City is also trying to promote and develop their accommodation that already exists. For example, there are many great Ryokan (traditional Japanese lodges) in Kunisaki, that provide a personal and high quality experience. However, these Ryokan are not very easily accessible for foreign tourists. Kunisaki is trying to develop these places by adding information in other languages, and online booking. Once this is done, Kunisaki can be reached from anywhere in the world, and not just from within Japan.

 

   When you travel, you want to go somewhere that has tourist attractions. You want that spot to take your pictures. You want that spot to tell people about. Kunisaki understands this, so has been developing their street art. They’re aiming to have locations around the city where you can interact and take pictures with the art. With the development of art, it’s sure to attract new tourists into Kunisaki, who can help revitalise the local economy.

 

   Kunisaki City has already done some great work with the aim to revitalise the area, especially in relation to foreign tourists. If you go to the Kunisaki City Tourist Information Centre, you will be greeted by staff fluent in English, that can give you local knowledge about Kunisaki. There are also plenty brochures promoting tourist areas in the local area and around Oita in Japanese and other various languages. In addition, the Information Centre is home to Kunisaki City’s mascot ‘Sakichi-kun’, and if you’re lucky he might even pay you

a visit.

 

   Right next to the Information Centre is one of Kunisaki’s service stations, Michi no Eki. Whilst visiting Sakichi-kun, you can also try some local food and buy some local snacks. All of these products are local, and by buying and supporting them, you are in turn supporting the local economy and residents.