TABICA debut and publication of the second issue of the Niijima Treasure Island Newspaper! (Report from the island)

After the Velotaxi arrived on Niijima and lessons to become a Velotaxi driver were held, members of Niijima's meeting are now ready to start taking concrete steps toward operation.

The questions on members' minds are: How should we communicate Niijima's new concept of "an island that connects with the new"? How should we embrace this concept and take steps toward its realization?
Two things that were decided at the regular meeting held every Tuesday from 5:30 p.m., known as the "Urashima Meeting," are now underway.

The first is registration to TABICA. (TABICA is an experience-sharing service focused on local experiences).

This task aims to communicate Niijima's new, experience-based service mainly to those "off-island."
The account will be managed by the general incorporated association Niijima OIGIE ("oigie" means "my home/our home" in Niijima dialect), which is also the organization at the center of this project.
The benefit of using the TABICA platform is that complex interactions with guests (customers) can be completed entirely within the smartphone app.
TABICA provides a very convenient service that reduces burden of handling procedures such as cancellations and postponements due to ship cancellations, which are common on remote islands, as well as insurance in the case of emergencies. This makes it easier for the host (operator) to manage the guests and the experience-based services being provided.

At the same time, by having OIGIE manage Niijima's experience-based services as the island's local coordinator, they will be prepared to handle new possibilities, such as providing experience-based services as guests even if the residents are not comfortable with using the app.

The test registration was completed on Tuesday, December 15, and the content debuted on the app a few days later after a few detailed adjustments were made with the TABICA office.

There is no demand for use of the superbly ventilated Velotaxi on Niijima during the winter season, when the island is buffeted by strong westerly winds. That is why, as members imagined people touring the island's treasures in the pleasant spring breeze, they simultaneously worked on another thing that would help island residents understand the initiative.

That thing is the publication of the second issue of the Niijima Treasure Island Newspaper. (The first issue can be read here: http://cutt.ly/jjdcaba).

This is an initiative to communicate the new experience-based service to those "on-island."

Members decided to publish the newspaper because they believe that gaining the understanding of the island residents is key to the project's success. They compiled an easy-to-understand outline of the project that starts with questions that residents are sure to have, such as "What is the Tokyo Treasure Islands Project?" It also covers the history of the project up until now, the project's future objectives, and the challenge of recruiting drivers and guides. The newspaper will be delivered in paper form to all households in Niijima Village starting on January 26.

In addition to distributing the newspaper, members have prepared a social media account to reach out to those who show more interest in the project. Their goal is to post something once a week and to use the account as a tool for maintaining ongoing connections with people.

The Velotaxi moves slowly, at a tortoise's pace--in a sense, it itself is a billboard advertisement.
Why are the members of Niijima's meeting pursuing this type of initiative?

First, to tell people about the project and spread awareness of it, in order to increase the number of people on the island who understand the project.
Then, for the Velotaxi to become feature on the island that receives peoples' support.

In order to move toward becoming "an island that connects with the new," what can members do to make the Velotaxi, which was introduced to Niijima as the best solution during the COVID-19 pandemic, become a beloved feature of the island?

The project has finally begun to move from the discussion phase to the action phase. The regular Urashima Meetings on Tuesdays are also heating up.

To be continued.
(Written by Terunoshin Nishitsugu, Niijima Local Coordinator)