The LEADER Programme, launched within the European Union in 1991, has attracted considerable attention as one of the principal tools for rural development in EU member states. This study focuses on the Aegean region of Greece, including Rhodes and Crete, two of the country's most popular tourist destinations.
The purpose of this research is to examine the regional development policies formulated and implemented by local development agencies responsible for managing the LEADER Programme, as well as to investigate the activities of beneficiary enterprises and the benefits they have derived from participation in the programme. Through this analysis, the study seeks to clarify the role and effectiveness of the LEADER Programme in promoting regional development and tourism in rural and island communities.
In the 2024 academic year, one of my most significant achievements was the publication of a peer-reviewed article in the Proceedings of the Japan Institute of Tourism Research, the largest academic association in the field of tourism studies in Japan. The article, entitled “Rural Tourism Development and the Reality of the Bottom-Up Approach under the EU LEADER Programme: A Case Study of the Aegean Region, Greece,” was published in mid-May 2024.
This article utilized the maximum length permitted under the journal’s submission guidelines (20 pages) and presented the results of extensive field research on the EU-funded LEADER programme in the Aegean region of Greece. The study examined in detail the mechanisms of rural tourism development, including the functions of Local Action Groups (LAGs), the operational rules of the LEADER programme, and examples of funded projects. The paper represents one of the few comprehensive empirical studies on this topic conducted in Japan.
In addition, on May 24, 2024, I organized and hosted a large-scale international symposium at Kokugakuin University’s Tama Plaza Campus entitled “Rural Development and Bottom-Up Tourism Promotion in the European Union: Lessons from LEADER-Funded Projects in the Greek Aegean Islands.” For this event, three specialists from two development agencies responsible for implementing the LEADER programme on the Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes were invited as guest speakers. To the best of my knowledge, this symposium was the first international symposium in Japan dedicated specifically to the LEADER programme. More than 140 participants attended, and audience engagement remained exceptionally high throughout the event, with a continuous stream of questions from the floor and highly positive feedback collected through post-event surveys.
Furthermore, at the 39th Annual Conference of the Japan Institute of Tourism Research, held at Osaka Seikei University in December 2024, I presented a paper entitled “The EU Rural Development Programme ‘LEADER’ and Beneficiary Case Studies: Evidence from Rhodes and Crete, Greece.” A six-page research paper based on this presentation was also published in the conference proceedings.
Through these publications, presentations, and international academic activities, I was able to successfully disseminate the outcomes of my research on EU rural development and tourism policies. Consequently, the 2024 academic year was an exceptionally productive and rewarding year for my research activities.
