I am excited to share that our MBA team won first place in the Visit Japan! Marketing Strategy Competition 2024, hosted by the Japan Club at London Business School.
This competition tasked participants with proposing marketing strategies to attract tourists to Hokuriku, a region in Japan significantly impacted by January’s earthquake. Competing against 35 teams from LBS, Oxford Saïd, and Cambridge Judge Business School, I was very fortunate to team up with my MBA classmates – Hsing Wei (Elvin) Ho, Iris Cheung, and Sagar Kaushik.
As fellow Japan enthusiasts, we had enriching discussions about Hokuriku’s, and Japan’s unique tourism treasures. It was a truly enjoyable experience.
Our winning competition proposal highlighted Hokuriku’s seafood and sake – classic for Japanese yet often overlooked attractions internationally. I believe this focus was key to our success, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the invaluable insights from my incredible MBA teammates.
As someone with experience in Japanese tourism policy, this competition was particularly meaningful. Many teams embraced wellness tourism, an international trend, and redefined Hokuriku’s appeal with ideas centered on skiing, hot springs, nature and more. Their innovative approaches offered valuable, outside perspectives, reinforcing the importance of incorporating international viewpoints into Japan’s tourism strategy.
A heartfelt thank you to the sponsors (ANA Strategic Research Institute, A.T. Kearney and NTT Docomo), the Japan Club at London Business School and the organising team for hosting such a rich learning experience, as well as the judges for their insightful feedback.
As part of the prize, our Cambridge MBA team will head to Japan in February for a study trip. I can’t wait to refine our ideas further and uncover even more of Japan’s hidden treasures with my MBA teammates during this exciting journey.
The competition sponsors All Nippon Airways (ANA) also published these words:
ANA Strategic Research Institute & ANA were proud sponsors of the ‘Visit Japan! Marketing Strategy Competition 2024’ at LBS.
Six finalist teams presented innovative strategies to attract tourism to Hokuriku Region, largely affected by a major earthquake earlier in 2024. The team from Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge proposed a strategy focusing on delicious local seafood and the charm of Japanese sake, taking home the first prize – a trip to Hokuriku with ANA!
Regional revitalisation is key to our ESG engagement to promote healthy tourism growth in Japan.
For more on the Cambridge MBA competitions, treks and activities, ‘beyond academics’, visit our student experience pages here>