ANA／Airlines' Initiatives for the SDGs｜"Kurashi-no-Sasukatsu Tour in Hokkaido" 3 days/2 nights on ANA|ANA

November 2, 2023

ANA Akindo Co., Ltd.(ANA Akindo) participated as a co-partner in "Kurashi no Sasukatsu* 2023 Summer" organized by Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co.,Ltd., and presented an original tour with sustainable experiences as a special prize to the winners.

*

This initiative encourages people to participate in decarbonization activities in their daily lives by offering attractive benefits to those who participate. The goal is to reduce CO₂ emissions in the household sector by encouraging people to make decarbonization activities "their own" and "enjoyable and sustainable".

The tour took place in September 2023 and was attended by 6 groups of 12 people who won the campaign.
The main contents of the tour were as follows.

Lecture and visit to "Circular reproduction of sea urchin and seaweed beds" in Shakotan Town

Cape Kamui, famous for Shakotan blue

Participants listening to lecture by Dr. Sea Urchin

Shakotan Town, famous for its sea urchins, was facing problems such as a decrease in sea urchin production due to the expansion of rocky shores and unstable supply.
In addition, the town was struggling to dispose of the approximately 100 tons of sea urchin shells that were discarded annually after processing.

One of the measures to solve this problem is the "recycling and reproduction of sea urchin and seaweed beds".

By dissolving sea urchin shell powder in water, soaking cotton rope in the liquid fertilizer, and lowering it onto the seaweed bed, 1.3 to 3.7 times more kelp grows on the rope than on a normal rope.
The sea urchins that feed on the kelp grow better, leading to increased production, and the sea urchin shells that are discarded become compost again.
The town hall staff talked about their efforts and experiences.

The plan also included a climb to the lighthouse for a spectacular view of Cape Kamui, which is normally inaccessible, and a three-color bowl of rice topped with a sumptuous Shakotan seafood and sea urchin for lunch.

A sumptuous bowl of rice topped with seafood

Experienced tree planting at Furano Nature School to return a former golf course to the forest

The Furano Nature School

Planting Abies sachalinensis trees

In order to preserve the wonderful natural environment for the next generation, the participants experienced the "Zero Carbon Traveler," a tree-planting activity aimed at absorbing the CO₂ emitted during this tour. The amount of CO₂ emitted on this trip (about 20 kg/person) is equivalent to the amount of CO₂ that six Abies sachalinensis trees absorb in one year.
It was an opportunity for the participants to think about how much CO₂ was being emitted by their own actions and to deepen their knowledge of carbon offsets.

In addition, the participants walked along the "Earth's Road," a 460-meter path that represents 4.6 billion years of the Earth's history, under the guidance of the instructor, and experienced how the Earth's environment has changed drastically in the short time since the birth of mankind.

Voice of the Person in Charge

We interviewed Ms. Morishita, who was in charge of this project.

Ms. Morishita, Business Development Department, ANA Akindo

Challenges: This time, the challenge was to start from zero-based planning for the campaign's award prizes.
We had some ideas such as travel vouchers or charter flights on specially painted aircraft, but we decided to plan a sustainable tour this time because we wanted to expand the project in terms of regional development and cooperation with local governments as the significance of ANA Akindo.
It was my first time planning a tour, and I had a lot to learn about coordination until we got on track, but I found it very rewarding to work with many people inside and outside the company to create better content in the speedy three-month period before the release.

What made you happy: I was very happy that our customers actually enjoyed and experienced the tours that we created after hearing directly from local people and learning about the current situation.
I think it is a new concept to travel while thinking about the earth, and I think we were able to maintain a good balance of "learning x travel".

What we are aiming for in the future: We would like to continue to plan sustainable tours and events, while maintaining a strong relationship with the local government and local people in various ways.

The ANA Group will continue to move forward together with its customers and the local community as one group.