London Borough of Richmond
On 10 May the Rugby World Cup 2019 pool draw took place at Kyoto’s State Guest House.
To mark the occasion, and to discuss all things Japan-related, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) organised a series of events and a celebratory evening of networking at the Embassy of Japan in the UK to aim to increase the number of visitors to Japan.
Attendees at the events included tour operators, national airlines, luxury hotel representatives from across Japan, attendees from various Japanese prefectures.
The following day, in conjunction with JNTO, JLGC hosted a Seminar for RWC 2019 Host Cities from across Japan.
This enabled Japanese Host City representatives to engage with two England RWC 2015 Host City authorities, Richmond upon Thames, home of the iconic Twickenham Stadium which saw much activity during the tournament, and Milton Keynes, a non-traditional tourist destination which had used its hosting of three matches to drive greater awareness of the town.
The two 2015 Host Cities were able to share practical insights from their successful hosting of their respective pool games (and in Twickenham’s case, the final), including managing of Fanzones, brand alignment with the tournament and enabling visitor capture from those attending matches (i.e. local spend).
Milton Keynes Council
Richmond argued that keeping local residents informed and aware of games time activity was key in staging a successful event for rugby fans, while Milton Keynes pointed to increased civic pride among its citizens as a result of its proven ability to host a major tournament for the first time.
In both cases, the legacy effect was reported as increased positivity about the town and its reputation, a more confident approach to hosting major events and a boost in profile for the destination.
For more information on Japan’s 12 Host Cities for the 2019 Rugby World Cup please visit the RWC website.
