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CITY RELEASES REPORT ON SISTER CITY TOURISM MEETINGS

            A report on the outcome of recent meetings between City Director Carroll Weatherford and officials from the Japanese tourism industry is now available on the city’s Web site at www.cityhs.net in the What’s New section.
            Weatherford was part of a three-member delegation from Hot Springs that visited Japan last month.  The goal of the meetings was to exchange ideas and discuss possible strategies to enhance and increase tourism and economic exchange between the State of Arkansas and Iwate Prefecture, the region within which Hanamaki City lies.  Hanamaki and Hot Springs have been sister cities for the past 15 years. 
            Weatherford met with Yoichi Imai, Chairman of the Hanamaki Tourism Association and CEO of Hanamaki Onsen Corporation (Hanamaki Onsen Spa Hotels).  He also met with Hideichiro Chikahiro, Director of the State of Arkansas Japan Office in Tokyo, Japan.
            Discussion topics included what communications vehicles were most effective in Japan; ways that Hot Springs could better welcome Japanese visitors and encourage their return; and how to facilitate more travel from Hot Springs to Japan. The meetings yielded numerous potential tourism, business and economic exchange opportunities for further research and exploration.   Weatherford and Chikahiro plan to meet with state officials in Arkansas in the next month to seek further input on potential exchange projects.
            The report also lists several new opportunities for possible cultural exchange between the two regions.
            For more information on the Hot Springs Sister City Program, contact Sister City Program Coordinator Mary Neilson at 545-6960 or hotspringsistercity@yahoo.com. 

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