Students take the stage at the Osaka IR Symposium "Thinking with University Students about Osaka IR and the Future of Osaka"!

Rei Tatsumi, a second-year student in Faculty of Modern Social Studies, participated in the Osaka IR Symposium "Thinking about Osaka IR and the Future of Osaka with University Students" and participated in a group discussion with experts.

This symposium was held on Tuesday, February 6th at Osaka Koritsu University I-site Namba, inviting students from the Kansai area and experts familiar with Osaka's tourism and economy, with the aim of giving participants a sense of familiarity with the IR (Integrated Resort) that Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City plan to open in 2030.

In the first part, Chairperson of the Board of the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, and Professor Kang Seong-suk Faculty of Business Administration at Tezukayama University took to the stage and spoke about the outlook for tourism in Osaka and the impact of an IR, as well as future possibilities such as changes in tourist spending patterns and expected changes in tourism due to an IR in the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

In the second part, a discussion was held between the speakers from the first part and two university student representatives.
The theme of the event was "How can we use the Osaka IR as an opportunity to further enliven Osaka and the Kansai region?" and university students were asked questions that they had, which were then discussed with the speakers.

Ms. Rei Tatsumi, a second-year student Faculty of Modern Social Studies, began by touching on the topic of regional revitalization and casinos as part of integrated resorts, and asked how the negative image could be dispelled given the various measures being taken.
We discussed the possibility of casinos becoming a place where a wide range of people can enjoy a variety of content, as there are other ways to enjoy the city besides casinos, such as food and other entertainment, and how systems can be put in place to socially control those who enjoy casinos.

Furthermore, he commented that the travel industry seems to have lost much vitality in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked about efforts to support the industry in the future.
In response to this, we shared our thoughts on the changes in travel behavior, the importance of developing professional human resources to respond to these changes, the importance of grasping people's needs and making proposals to them, and the importance of recognizing this.

[Comment: Rei Tatsumi, second-year student Faculty of Modern Social Studies]

I participated in this symposium at the invitation of my professor.
While studying in Faculty of Modern Social Studies, I am currently learning a variety of new things, such as tourism and disseminating local information using IT.
I was happy that they approached me, a second-year student, rather than a third- or fourth-year student who is currently developing his or her expertise, and I feel that participating in the symposium is a valuable experience that is not often available.

During the discussion, I realized that there are various perspectives and opinions on the same topic, and it gave me a proactive feeling to try to improve my own shortcomings.
Through this symposium, I felt that I wanted to broaden my own horizons in the future, and also realized the importance of "images."

I tend to get nervous and stiff in situations like this, but I would like to use this experience to hone my ability to keep conversations going smoothly.

(Source: School Public Relations)