The Department of International Tourism was the first to be established when Nagasaki International University was founded under the public-private partnership system in 2000. The university’s motto is “Always with humanity, always from the heart,” and tourism is education and research for the embodiment of this motto. As an institution of higher education with tourism as its core education and research field, it has steadily improved its education and research levels and become a department featuring one of the nation’s largest scales with a varied curriculum. Since the founding of the university, the situation surrounding tourism has changed significantly, and according to statistical information from the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of foreign travelers to Japan, which was 4.76 million per year in 2000, rose to 31.88 million in 2019, and their spending totaled 4,813.5 billion yen. These figures dropped temporarily from the impact of COVID-19; however, in 2023, the amount spent by foreign visitors exceeded 5 trillion yen, reaching 5,292.3 billion yen. The figure is expected to grow further in the future. In addition, in 2023, the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan was formulated by the government, and this basic plan states that tourism will continue to be a pillar in the growth strategy and a trump card for regional revitalization, and tourism is becoming increasingly important.
Under these circumstances, the Department of International Tourism aims to develop people who can view tourism from a broad perspective and play an active role in this diverse and rapidly changing society. Fortunately, the area surrounding the university is rich in tourism resources, such as nature, history, culture, and food. Moreover, the university is located next to a resort comprising one of the leading theme parks in Japan and the surrounding hotels. There are very few universities that provide such an ideal learning setting where students can put the theories that they have learned in the classroom into practice in the community.
In addition, as a university with “international” in its name, the Department of International Tourism also focuses on the development of true cosmopolitan people. While tying up with many overseas universities to secure diverse study-abroad destinations for Japanese students, the Department actively accepts international students from various countries, creating an environment where students can develop a global perspective through their daily campus life. I expect that students who acquire better human relationships and study hospitality together with international students, transcending the boundaries of race and nationality, will contribute to diverse local communities in the future and will be highly regarded by the local people.
Furthermore, we are one of the first tourism departments to introduce the study of sports tourism. Students can deepen their knowledge by combining the perspective of tourism with various forms of sports, such as not only sports to play but also sports to watch as represented by the spectating of sports competitions, and sports to support involved in the management of sporting events.
We are pleased to be able to help you pursue your dreams and goals and find your own path in this blessed environment at Nagasaki International University. University life is filled with new challenges and discoveries through which you will grow, and we look forward to learning together with you.
