The agriculture ministry will seek to obtain funds in the fiscal 2003 budget to promote hands-on tourism activities at villages whose economies rely heavily on the farming, forestry or fishing industries, ministry officials said Tuesday.
Under the program, urban visitors to these locations will be able to work in these sectors on a temporary basis while staying at the homes of local residents.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry is seeking to boost the economies of small communities across the country, as well as address a growing interest among city dwellers in nature-based activities, the officials said.
The ministry plans to establish a school in which villagers will be taught how to manage experience-based tourism enterprises.
The school will provide such information as running local specialty restaurants and direct sales of local farm products.
The ministry is also planning to establish a center to provide urban residents with information on experience-based tourism.