• History and Background

  The number of tourists visiting Okinawa exceeded 7,930,000 in 2015 and renewed the record high in three consecutive years. Thus, Okinawa tourism is expanding steadily toward the future goal of 10 million visitors. The main factor contributing to this expansion is the increase of foreign visitors from abroad, and to improve service for tourists, especially foreigners, various entities such as local governments, hotels, restaurants, public transportation, etc. has established free public wireless LAN (hereinafter referred to as Free Wi-Fi). However, there is a need for the implementation of the environment that enables users to use Free Wi-Fi services more smoothly, as seen in users’ request for simplification of information they are required to input for user registration. Free Wi-Fi is not just internet connection. Expectation is also heightened for the beneficial side of Free Wi-Fi, such as improvement of service by providing sightseeing information through Free Wi-Fi, a contribution to the making of a more effective tourism policy, promotion, etc. by visualizing users’ flow lines with Wi-Fi use information (what is called big data), and such. Under such background, while respecting various existing Free Wi-Fi environments, we have come to perform a demonstration experiment in order to further improve the quality of tourism services, further promote the tourism industry in Okinawa, improve the convenience of Free Wi-Fi service in Okinawa, and utilize big data for Okinawa’s tourism policy in the future.

• The purpose and aim of the demonstration experiment

  • Implementation of the environment in which users can use Free Wi-Fi of Okinawa Prefecture easily and conveniently with “one tap on an app.”
  • Expansion of services to tourist visitors (such as dissemination of information.)
  • Establishment of a business model such as luring and attracting customers and advertising through Wi-Fi
  • Promotion of the tourism industry by the planning and implementation of an effective tourism policy, utilizing big data

• Overview of the demonstration experiment

  A demonstration experiment on the use of OKINAWA FREE Wi-Fi (Okinawa island-wide connection app) is to be performed in order to achieve the purposes shown in 2. This app is distributed for free, and the contents of area owners such as corporations and local governments in Okinawa Prefecture appear in the app.
  
  By using this app, Japanese and foreign tourists visiting Japan can use Free Wi-Fi at multiple locations with “one tap” after one time of user registration and are also provided with useful information for sightseeing in Okinawa Prefecture both offline and online. Also expansion of inbound business of corporations and local governments participating in this demonstration experiment will be attempted by analyzing and verifying the usage data of OKINAWA FREE Wi-Fi (Okinawa island-wide connection app) and Free Wi-Fi provided by each area owner.

  Verification items (planned)

  • User profile analysis, survey
  • Dynamic analysis of users (tourists)
  • Stamp rally, coupon distribution, downloadable presents
  • Dissemination of sightseeing information (multilingual tourist voice guide, tourism signage solutions)
  • Providing information for utilization of big data, and also data analysis and verification
  • Simulation and consulting, etc. in the revenue model study
  
  When performing the demonstration experiment, participating organizations will set up “Okinawa Island-Wide Free Wi-Fi Joint Demonstration Experiment Promotion Council.” It will collect and organize ideas about what Wi-Fi should be like in Okinawa Prefecture and will compile them as the final proposal in order to achieve the goal.

• Implementation period

  From Wednesday, July 27, 2016 to Friday, March 31, 2017

• Participating secretary organizations and their roles

  Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau

  Works as a chair, provides contents, and joins discussion from the point of view of promoting tourism in Okinawa

  Naha City

  Provides demonstration fields, proposes opinion from the point of view of the provider of a local government’s Wi-Fi (Naha City Wi-Fi), and such.

  Okinawa City

  Provides demonstration fields, proposes opinion from the point of view of the provider of a local government’s Wi-Fi (Koza City Wi-Fi), and such.

  Okinawa University (Media Research Association)

  Proposes opinions about tourism policies and town planning policies from the point of view of academic experts, and such.

  InfoCom Research, Inc.

  Proposes opinions from the point of view of consulting about tourism and the use of ICT, compiles proposed opinions (making a proposal book), etc.

  NTTBP

  Develops Wi-Fi connection tool, performs user trend analysis and big data analysis, operates Wi-Fi utilization functions and the demonstration experiment, and such.

  NTT West Okinawa Branch

  Proposes opinions from the point of view of experts in technology of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi utilization, administers the entire demonstration experiment, and such.

※1 "Overview of Year 2015 Statistics of Tourist Entering Okinawa Prefecture " (Okinawa Prefecture Culture and Tourism Sports Division)