Complete Summer Independent Research While Traveling! Grand Mercure Wakayama Minabe Resort & Spa Launches an Accommodation Plan Featuring Beach Observation and Clock Making in One Day

Grand Mercure Wakayama Minabe Resort & Spa (Minabe-cho, Hidaka-gun, Wakayama Prefecture / General Manager: Kazunori Tanaka), an all-inclusive hotel offering majestic Pacific Ocean views from every guest room, will launch the 'Summer Vacation Independent Research Support | Sea Experience x Clock Making Plan,' an accommodation plan aimed at elementary school students for the summer vacation period. From observing the Wakayama sea to creating an original clock, the program takes about 3 hours, and the finished piece can be taken home as an independent research project. This program is supported by instructors from the Kishu Experience Exchange Yume Club. This new summer stay style, balancing the joy of travel with learning, will further expand family smiles and experiences. Background of the Project In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the 'experiential value' of travel, not just sightseeing, but gaining knowledge and learning while interacting with nature and culture. In addition, the concept of 'Tabi-iku' (travel education), which encourages children's growth through travel, is spreading mainly among child-rearing generations, expanding the need for experiences accompanied by learning. (*) By leveraging the rich natural environment of Wakayama and providing a learning process of 'observing,' 'thinking,' and 'shaping' as an experience, we propose a new value of completing independent research during a trip. We aim to create summer family demand by offering this 'kill two birds with one stone' program that reduces the burden on parents while simultaneously providing children with memories and learning. (*) Reference: JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) Promotion of High Value-Added Travel Reference: Yadoken Co., Ltd. What is 'Tabi-iku' gaining attention from the child-rearing generation? Introducing new ideas for attracting family customers. [Summer Vacation Independent Research Support | For Elementary Students] Complete in 1 Day! Sea Experience x Clock Making Plan Program Content (Duration: about 3 hours) 1. Observation and Collection on the Beach At Kometsu Beach, adjacent to the hotel, participants will collect and observe shells, sea glass, driftwood, and flotsam. In a calm atmosphere resembling a private beach, they can deepen their learning while interacting with nature. Collected materials are recorded by type and used for later production. 2. Reflection on Discoveries Returning to the hotel, participants sort the materials collected on the beach into 'natural' and 'artificial' items, organizing their observations. Using slide materials, they learn where the washed-up plastic came from and how it is connected to our lives through the sea. Through questions like 'What can I do to reduce plastic waste?', time is set aside to think about environmental issues as their own problem. The realizations gained through the experience are put into words, leading to the consideration phase of the independent research. 3. Clock Making Experience Materials such as shells, sea glass, and driftwood are washed and cleaned before production. Making use of the original colors and shapes of the materials, participants devise arrangements to create their own one-of-a-kind original clock. By shaping materials they collected themselves, they not only preserve the memory of the experience but also create a single work of art representing the process of observation, classification, and consideration. The completed clock can be taken home as independent research and used as an achievement of summer vacation. Event Overview Eligible Stay Dates: Fridays and Saturdays from August 1 to August 22, and Thursday, August 13 Time: 9:00 to 12:00 the day after check-in (about 3 hours) Meeting Place: Hotel 1st floor Lobby Venue: Beach and inside the hotel Implementing Organization: Kishu Experience Exchange Yume Club Capacity: Maximum of about 10 people (conducted jointly with other guests) Included in the plan: 1 night/2 days accommodation, dinner buffet, breakfast buffet, lounge, hot spring, experience fee for 1 elementary school student, complete clock making kit, water, tablets for heatstroke prevention *Additional elementary student participation: 6,500 yen per person (paid on the day) Notes: - Please take precautions against heatstroke, such as staying hydrated. - Observation content on the beach may change depending on weather and sea conditions. - In case of rain, the program will be conducted inside the hotel.