Resort Hotel For Educational Tourism: Strategy To Improve The Quality Of Tourist Experience At Renaissance Okinawa Resort, Japan

Abstract

As a hotel with resort concept, Renaissance Okinawa Resort, Japan provides a variety of activities and recreation for guests. One of the highlights is the variety of educational tours as an effort to provide activities for guests while staying at the hotel. This research poses the problem of what are the types of educational tourism, how to increase tourist interest in educational tourism and how to improve the quality of the tourist experience. The research used a qualitative method approach by interviewing informants of educational tourism management at Rennaissance Hotel Okinawa Japan and strengthened by field observations and document studies. The results of the study found that Renaissance Resort Okinawa Japan developed four types of educational tourism, namely food education, cultural education, adventure education and beverage education. Strategy to attracting tourist to join with educational tourism, 7 effort has been made, namely promoting activities to various social media, promoting the quality and benefits of activities, giving appreciation to participants, utilising guest testimonials, involving professionals, providing complete packages, attractive decorations, and providing coverage of activity documentation.  Strategy for the quality of the educational tourism experience has been improved through the REAL concept of rewarding, enriching, adventuring, and learning