The chefs, who will be matched with accommodations and regions by JTB, will stay in the region for a specified period to research local ingredients and work alongside local colleagues to create new dishes and menus.
As food and drink is “one of the major purposes of travel,” JTB hopes the project will support lodgings facing “a qualitative and quantitative chef shortage,” the company said in a statement.
“The challenge of human resource shortages in the tourism industry has become even more apparent in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, amidst the rapid influx of inbound travellers to regional areas …
“In addition to helping remedy the shortage of chefs, the project will also create various kinds of value, such as discovering hidden local ingredients from an outsider’s perspective for menu development and improving the skills of local chefs through new encounters,” it continued.
The initiative is also designed to increase consumption of local products and provide a boost to local food culture while improving the attractiveness of regions to visitors, particularly those from overseas. It is part of a series of projects by JTB to create food-related businesses and services that enhance the value of tourist attractions and help realise sustainable development in Japan’s region’s through co-creation with local companies.
JTB will collaborate initially with Tokyo-based Real Quality to create a dinner plan at Horaikan, a ryokan inn in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture.
Available in March, the meal will be created by an up-and-coming award-winning chef who has trained extensively in Europe and the chef of Horaikan who has in-depth knowledge of using local ingredients and traditional Japanese cooking methods.
By Kathryn Wortley
