The Toyama Prefecture Travel Industry Association Cooperation Association (Chairman Hamada Masatoshi, Enraku) recently held its 45th regular general meeting at Aenokaze in Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture. 97 people attended. The activities for this year include strengthening the organization to increase the number of members, conducting joint ventures with the Toyama Prefecture Travel Industry Association to increase the number of customers sent to member facilities, and exchanging information to quickly collect and transmit information on members. It was revealed that the 68 members of the Toyama Prefecture Travel Industry Association sent 356,000 customers by region from January to December 2017. In his speech at the general meeting, Chairman Hamada said, "There has been an increase in natural disasters this year, and even nearby tourist facilities and tourist destinations have been affected," and offered words of condolences to the related tourist destinations and facilities. Meanwhile, three years have passed since the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in Kanazawa, and he reported that companies are expanding into Hokuriku, with an increase in head office relocations and factory expansions. He said that the Hokuriku Shinkansen has "stimulated business exchanges," and that the effects of the opening are continuing. He also cited survey data as an example, saying, "Currently, 70% of inbound tourists stay in hotels, 18% inns, and 12% in private lodgings, but it is feared that by 2020, these figures will be reversed and private lodgings will dominate. As the environment around us changes, we would like to work closely with inns and travel agencies to provide each other with high-quality services that satisfy our customers." Toru Nagamori, chairman of the Toyama Prefecture Travel Industry Association, responded, "We would like to continue to work closely with everyone in the association." The commemorative lecture held after the general meeting was given by Fujiko Nagata, a gibier utilization advisor at the Ishikawa Gibier Utilization Promotion Research Group. Her speech was titled "Blessings of the Mountains" and explained the current state of gibier.