At a New Year's press conference held on January 10, Chairman Tagawa Hiromi of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) (Chairman of JTB) chose "preparation" (sonaeru) as the kanji character of the year, and stated his aspirations to "prepare for the dawn of an era of change and respond firmly" with the enforcement of the revised Travel Agency Act, the start of collection of the international tourist tax in 2019, the enthronement of the new emperor, and the enforcement of the new era name. Regarding the revised Travel Agency Act that came into force on January 4, Chairman Tagawa said, "JATA has requested the registration of land operators and the reform of the guide-interpreter system. We can expect to improve inbound tourism in both quality and quantity. We would like to cooperate in making the system take root." Furthermore, in the fiscal 2018 tax reform outline approved by the Cabinet in December, it was decided that the collection of 1,000 yen per person for departures after January 7, 2019 would begin, and with regard to the use of the tax, he expressed his thoughts on how the tax would be used, saying, "Because it is a tax that is also collected from Japanese tourists, I would like to propose ways to use it that will benefit Japanese people as well, such as measures to improve safety and security and promote overseas travel for young people." He expressed enthusiasm for considering measures to prevent a recurrence following the bankruptcy of "Terumi Club," working to restore trust, and expanding Tourism EXPO Japan, which will be held in September. Other key questions and answers with reporters include the following:-What are the challenges facing the Japanese version of DMO?The challenge is for the DMO to get involved among the citizens, and the key is whether local industries can be involved and whether there is resident participation. I would like to create a solid roadmap.-What impact will the new private lodging law have?Given the current situation where there are very few facilities that can accommodate long-term stays, I think the need for private lodgings will increase. However, regulations on lodgings are loose, and some local governments have strict ordinances on business, so I think there will be a need to redevelop them within a certain range, for example after the Tokyo Olympics.- Promoting Japanese tourismIt may be necessary to learn from inbound tourism. Many destinations have been discovered by foreign tourists. I want them to look at their feet and polish them. (This is also due to the lack of power of travel agencies) There have been few new success stories of domestic tourism recently. Cooperation with local governments is necessary, but it quickly becomes a matter of inbound tourism.