#Japan #Tokyo #City Promotion #GDX #Tourism DX

Overview of the Online Seminar: Connecting City Promotion and Relationship Population

On May 27, 2026, the General Incorporated Association for Local Government DX Promotion (GDX) will host a series of free online seminars aimed at local government officials, tourism associations, DMOs, and community development stakeholders.

The seminar will be split into two parts: from 10:00 to 11:00, there will be a session titled "Should We Stop Creating Tourism Apps? – Utilizing Spot AI (ToyTalk) to Solve Tourism and Community Issues"; and from 14:00 to 15:30, the launch of the new series "Relationship Population Lab" with a session named "What Exactly is Relationship Population?" All sessions will be conducted online via Zoom, and prior registration is required.

In these seminars, GDX will discuss significant insights gleaned from two large-scale surveys conducted with 273 organizations (194 local governments and 79 DMOs) regarding the state of city promotion and tourism DX, alongside another survey conducted across 473 local governments on digitalization and relocation support measures. The aim is to delve into the structural issues faced on the ground and explore actionable strategies.

Seminar Background: Digging into Two Key Themes

GDX's previously published surveys reveal common structural issues present in local governments and regional development efforts, especially regarding tourism DX initiatives and the relationship population concept. Some notable findings include:

• - Nearly 49% of tourism DX officials are juggling multiple responsibilities.
• - Most budgets allocated for tourism DX are under 5 million yen.
• - About 70% of DMOs struggle with the sustained operation of their social media accounts.

Addressing the challenges highlighted in the survey, many local governments are interested in fostering relationship populations, with 65.7% actively developing strategies. Among these, 81.4% of responding municipalities reported perceived success in their efforts, and approximately 68.3% viewed initiatives like the hometown resident registration system positively. However, there is a notable gap between the high interest (83.1%) in the digital transformation of migration support efforts and the actual implementation rate (48.8%).

Seeking Solutions for Common Challenges

The prevalent concerns amongst on-site personnel include the continuous operation of developed apps and the ambiguity around what constitutes success in increasing relationship population. GDX aims to provide a platform for officials to bridge technology and regional strategy, equipping them with applicable insights to move forward effectively.

Through the dual seminars on May 27, GDX seeks to connect tourism DX and community development, enabling attendees to take actionable steps from the session to implementation.

Seminar 1: Should We Stop Creating Tourism Apps?
In the first part, titled "The Reality of Tourism DX based on Insights from 273 Organizations — Overcoming the Triple Challenge of Dual Roles, Budget Limitations, and Sustainability" (GDX segment), we will discuss the structural reasons why tourism DX initiatives often falter and the voices from the field highlighting these issues. The second part will feature a presentation by Kuniyuki Tsutsui, co-founder of Bridgewell, introducing a novel approach using Spot AI (ToyTalk) that generates solutions in as little as three minutes without the need for app development.

Seminar 2: Relationship Population Lab - What Exactly is Relationship Population?
The afternoon session will kick off GDX's new learning series focusing on relationship populations. Led by Masato Ito from the Global Communication Center (GLOCOM) at the International University, this session will distill what relationship population entails while updating participants on the latest research and policy trends as well as sharing insights from the nationwide survey of 473 local governments.

For those unable to attend, GDX plans to provide an archive of the seminars as well.

Conclusion: Building Connections for Sustainable Development

GDX is committed to supporting local governments in their digital transformation journey, aiming to facilitate partnerships that drive sustainable regional development through digital solutions. For further details, feel free to contact GDX directly.

For inquiries: General Incorporated Association for Local Government DX Promotion (GDX)
Address: 1-3-1 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: 03-6683-0106
Email: [email protected]
Visit the GDX website