While the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2024 is set to exceed 30 million, the fastest since statistics began, the negative impact of tourists, "tourism pollution," is an issue. How can we improve this? Saturday Station visited Uluru in Australia, formerly known as Ayers Rock. A clue to solving "tourism pollution" has been found. (Saturday Station aired on November 23) ■ "Tourist destination Uluru" is a "sacred place" for the indigenous people A huge monolith located almost in the center of the Australian continent. It was once known as "Ayers Rock," but now it has been renamed "Uluru," as the indigenous Aboriginal people call it. It is a popular tourist spot worldwide. However, in the past, there were people climbing Uluru. People slipping off and environmental destruction. And above all, climbing to the summit has been banned due to the damage to the indigenous people's sacred places. "Tourism pollution," a nuisance caused by tourists. It is also a problem in Japan. We went to the base of Uluru to look for a "clue to the solution." Uluru is 348 meters tall, taller than Tokyo Tower. Megan Ebert, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Office: "In fact, what we see is only a small part of it, and it is buried 6km underground." The mysterious Uluru shows different expressions depending on the viewing angle and time. It is a rare mixed World Heritage Site that is recognized as both a "natural heritage" and a "cultural heritage." Megan Ebert, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Office: "No photography beyond this point. Please be careful as this is a sacred place." Even today, indigenous people perform rituals at Uluru. There are many hidden places that have been there for tens of thousands of years. Megan Ebert, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Office: "Uluru is a very sacred place for indigenous people. We understand and respect that." ■Tourists climbing Uluru... "Garbage and diapers fell down." Climbing Uluru means breaking an ancient law for indigenous people. However, tourists have climbed Uluru and damaged it. Megan guided us around. Megan Evert, Secretariat of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: "This is the largest water source in Uluru." Uluru is located in a semi-desert area. Water is a precious resource. The indigenous people used this "Mutitjulu Spring" as a hunting ground for animals that came in search of water, so they never polluted the water. However. Megan Evert, Secretariat of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: "At the time, people who climbed would relieve themselves at the top, and garbage and diapers would flow into the water source from above." Of course, there are no toilets at the top of Uluru, and there were concerns about environmental destruction. ■While the decision was made to ban climbing, "tourists continue to increase" And then, in October 2019, climbing was banned. If you climb, you may be fined more than 10,000 Australian dollars (about 1 million yen in Japanese yen). In Japan, nuisance behavior by tourists is rampant. At Mount Fuji, there are garbage problems and foreigners making prohibited bonfires. There have also been a series of violations of manners in Shirakawa-go, another World Heritage Site. Uluru, on the other hand, has been "protected" by the ban on climbing. The national park that oversees it is Stephen Baldwin, Secretary of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: "Climbing Uluru is like climbing a sacred church. Even after climbing ended, we were confident that the number of visitors would continue to grow." Why do tourists increase? A valuable tourism resource is "sharing culture" Even if climbing is banned, "tourists will continue to increase." He showed us the reason why he was confident. Megan took us to the kitchen cave. In fact, the indigenous people also lived at Uluru. Megan Ebert, Secretary of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: "Look over there. This is shiny." When we touched it, we found a smooth spot unlike the others. Apparently they used it as a mortar to grind seeds that were collected. While walking around Uluru, we noticed "black streaks" here and there. The black streaks are traces of rainwater running down the rock surface. When it rains and the water runs off, the sun dries it and burns the rock surface black. This is how the residents used it to find where the water was. For the indigenous people, it is a way of life and wisdom. Uluru tourism has always shared the culture of the indigenous people, but we realized that sharing culture is the most valuable tourism resource. ■ Learning about the indigenous people's way of life and wisdom changes "just a rock" Nisha, who has indigenous roots, is sharing the wisdom of the indigenous people. Ayers Rock Resort Garden Walk guide Nisha Gibson: "This is a flower unique to Australia." When she slammed it into her palm, nectar came out. Ayers Rock Resort Garden Walk guide Nisha Gibson: "The indigenous people used this nectar to make a sweet drink to get through the day." The orange mushroom was used as medicine. These ways of life have also been passed down from generation to generation at Uluru. Megan Ebert, Secretariat of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: "See that little hole? It's a window. Children used to watch the men hunt through this hole and learn." Furthermore, the indigenous people, who did not have a written language, painted pictures on the rock walls of the caves to convey their wisdom for life. These pictures are still left on the rock walls as rock art. This culture has now become art and is shared with tourists. A tourist from France: "Uluru is not a place for 'Instagrammable', it is a one-of-a-kind place." A tourist from Sydney: "Until a few years ago, I thought Uluru was just a rock. But learning about the culture has made it into something valuable." ■Cultural tourism: changing the perspective to increase tourists Ayers Rock Resort, adjacent to Uluru, is developing this cultural sharing, or cultural tourism, into a "new experience." In order to make the indigenous people feel closer to them, one-third of the staff are Aboriginal. Matt Cameron Smith, CEO of Ayers Rock Resort Management: "When you travel, it's important to understand what is important to the people who live there and treat them with respect. It's more important to bring back knowledge, not souvenirs." The latest technology was used as a means to convey culture. This was the key to increasing the number of tourists. It is to convey culture using the latest technology such as drones. "Wintjiri Wiru", held by Ayers Rock Resort, will start in 2023. It uses more than 1,100 drones to convey the "creation myth" of the indigenous people, which has been passed down since ancient times. For them, myths were a way to convey human behavior and rules. This myth is also conveyed visually in seven languages, including Japanese. In addition, "Sunrise Journey", which expresses indigenous art and other things using projection technology, began in 2024. A tourist from Germany said, "It was a beautiful morning experience. Seeing it allowed me to immerse myself even more and learn about the culture." A tourist from Melbourne said, "They have survived in this environment for a long time. I felt their greatness." Matt Cameron-Smith, CEO of Ayers Rock Resort Management: "New technology first gets people interested. It captures the hearts of people of all ages." He also said that it does not damage nature. How do we connect tourism resources to the future? Megan shared her special method. We were guided to a place where the cliffs are a highlight. Most people look up while standing, but Megan lay down and looked up at the sky. Megan Ebert, Secretariat of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: "This is the best way to see it. The rocks look like they are lit up. The indigenous people must have looked like this tens of thousands of years ago." Changing your perspective may help you see values ​​that were previously invisible. ◆ Ayaka Takashima, anchor: Five years have passed since climbing Uluru was banned. What impact has this had on the number of tourists and the economy? Announcer Tomoki Itakura: The number of people who visited Uluru dropped sharply after climbing was banned in 2019, partly due to the impact of COVID-19, but has since recovered little by little, with about 220,000 people visiting Uluru the year before last. And in terms of tourism revenue in the Lasseter district, which includes Uluru, it fell to less than half at one point after climbing was banned, but has since recovered steadily. These are supported by activities that allow you to experience the culture of the indigenous people, such as barbecuing kangaroo meat, which can be eaten right next to Uluru, and which uses spices that the indigenous people have used since ancient times, allowing you to experience a part of their food culture. Caster Aya Takashima: You get to eat this in the middle of nature, so it's a valuable experience. Announcer Tomoki Itakura: According to Matt, who runs a resort hotel nearby, "The ban on climbing has led tourists to turn their attention to indigenous culture, and as a result, the number of days each person stays and the amount of money they spend has increased." Not only has the environmental impact been reduced, but the benefits have also been returned to the indigenous people. Ayaka Takashima: In Japan, too, attention tends to be focused on the negative aspects, such as overtourism, but what do you think of Australia's efforts? Journalist Hideo Yanagisawa: I think it's a bit of a stretch to apply Uluru's efforts exactly to Japan today. Overtourism is a problem when it comes to climbing Mount Fuji, but we can't just stop climbing there. Overtourism is another problem in Kyoto, where tourists are gathering, but there is no solution in sight. However, one thing I can say is that by reconsidering what Japanese tourist destinations should value most and what they need to protect, we may be able to derive some hints by referring to the example of Uluru. Ayaka Takashima: In order to protect nature and culture, we need to impose restrictions, increase value, and turn it into profits. I think that's one way of thinking about it. [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp