【Survey on Awareness of Moving to Okinawa】The proportion of people considering relocation or multi-site living expanded by approximately 1.5 times from 38.7% before employment to 59.1% after employment! Resortバイト serves as a trigger for relocation.

Dive Inc. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Kiyoshi Shoji; Stock Code: 151A; hereinafter referred to as "Dive"), a company specializing in human resource services for over 5,900 tourist facilities nationwide, conducted an "Awareness Survey on Moving to Okinawa" targeting 93 men and women who have experienced or are currently working in resortバイト in Okinawa.

【Survey Background】
The government currently positions the tourism industry as an "engine for Japan's economic growth" and is promoting market expansion. Okinawa, in particular, a leading resort destination in Japan, is experiencing remarkable growth in tourism demand. According to the latest data released by the Okinawa Prefectural Government, the number of inbound tourists is projected to reach 10,935,800 in FY2025 (a 9.9% increase year-on-year), surpassing the previous record set in FY2018 by 9.3% (*1).
On the other hand, behind this unprecedented tourism boom, Okinawa's local industry is facing a severe labor shortage. A survey on the business conditions of hotels revealed that 70.3% of hotels reported a labor shortage during the peak tourist season (March-October), and 62.1% reported a shortage even during the off-season (November-February) (*2).
In this context, "resortバイト," which is attracting attention as a solution to labor shortages, is beginning to function not only as a source of labor from urban areas but also as a means of "trial relocation" to rural areas.
Therefore, Dive conducted an "Awareness Survey on Moving to Okinawa" targeting staff who have experienced or are currently working in resortバイト in Okinawa. We report on the actual changes in awareness and the anxieties and challenges associated with relocation, as revealed through actual work and life experiences on site.
(*1) Source: Okinawa Prefecture "FY2025 Okinawa Prefecture Inbound Tourist Statistics Overview (Preliminary)"
(*2) Source: Joint survey by the Okinawa Hotel Association and OKI-GIN Economic Research Institute "Hotel Business Operations Survey Report"

【Survey Summary】
⚫︎ The proportion of people considering "relocation and multi-site living" expanded by approximately 1.5 times from the pre-employment interest level (38.7%) due to the real work and life experience on site.
⚫︎ The top concern for full-scale relocation is "securing continuous employment (38.2%)", with living foundations and economic aspects being realistic challenges.
⚫︎ The overwhelming majority (77.5%) chose resortバイト because "it allows experiencing local life while suppressing living costs."
⚫︎ 83.8% felt a change in awareness through their work experience, and 53.7% of them developed a sense of ownership as "a member supporting the region."

Respondent Attributes
Single response, n=93
Significant influx of talent from major metropolitan areas. Top 3 are "Osaka, Tokyo, Kanagawa."
Regarding the main prefectures of origin, Osaka Prefecture ranked first with 10.8%, followed by Tokyo (9.7%), Kanagawa (8.6%), Fukuoka (6.5%), and Hyogo (5.4%), indicating that people from major metropolitan areas nationwide occupy the top positions. Amidst the concentration of population and labor in large urban areas, the data suggests that resortバイト is functioning as infrastructure to recirculate talent from urban areas to rural areas (Okinawa).
Q. Please tell us your prefecture of origin (single response) n=93

Resortバイト Employment Status
When asked about the employment status of resortバイト in Okinawa, "experienced employment within the past year" was the most common response at 30.1%. This was followed by "employment experience within the past 2-3 years (29.0%)" and "currently employed (over 1 month) (28.0%)."
Q. Please tell us about your resortバイト situation in Okinawa (single response) n=93

Most Referenced Media When Selecting a Workplace
The most referenced medium when selecting a workplace was "job site conditions (hourly wage, benefits)" at 47.3%. This was followed by "nothing in particular" (12.9%), "personal experience from a previous tourist visit" (11.8%), and "social media (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)" (9.7%).
Q. When choosing to work in Okinawa, what was the most referenced factor? (single response) n=93

Approximately 1.5 times increase from before employment (38.7%)! Employment becomes a trigger for "relocation affirmation."
Before starting work in Okinawa, 61.3% of respondents answered that they were "not interested in future relocation (had not considered it at the time)," with only 38.7% considering relocation from the outset (Q. 1-1).
However, when asked about their future relocation intentions after actually experiencing resortバイト in Okinawa, the proportion of "people considering relocation or multi-site living"—which includes those who felt "relocation to Okinawa would be an option if good connections or jobs were available" (41.9%), those who want to "live in multiple locations between Okinawa and other regions within a few years" (9.7%), and those who have "started or are considering specific relocation preparations" (7.5%)—was 59.1%. This is approximately 1.5 times the proportion of interested individuals before employment (38.7%), suggesting that the experience of resortバイト has made the prospect of living in Okinawa more concrete (Q. 1-2).
These results indicate that even those who did not initially intend to relocate are proactively expanding their career and life stage options as a result of their real work and life experiences on site.
Q. 1-1 Before starting work in Okinawa, were you interested in future "relocation"? (single response) n=93

Q. 1-2 After this work experience in Okinawa, how has your thinking about future "relocation" changed? (single response) n=93

Barriers to Relocation to Okinawa are "Work and Economy."
When asked about the biggest concern for future full-scale relocation to Okinawa, "securing continuous employment" after relocation was the most common answer (38.2%), followed by "economic aspects" (32.7%).
On the other hand, "loneliness (difficulty fitting into a new community)" was low at 5.5% (Q. 2-1).
This trend is further supported by the fact that among the most attractive benefits for relocation support programs, "information on housing" (34.5%) was mentioned, along with "support for job searching in Okinawa" (21.8%) and "support for transitioning to direct employment" (18.2%), indicating that concrete support related to employment is sought by 40% of respondents (Q. 2-2).
It appears that "continuity of realistic livelihood maintenance," such as long-term employment and income stability, is the primary challenge for achieving full-scale relocation, rather than adaptation to the region or interpersonal relationships.

Q. 2-1 When considering full-scale relocation to Okinawa in the future, what is your biggest concern? (single response) n=55

Q. 2-2 If there were benefits to help with "moving to Okinawa," what would be most attractive? (single response) n=55

Nearly 80% cite "suppressing living costs" as a benefit. Established as a means of "trial relocation" with reduced risk.
When asked about the reasons for choosing resortバイト as a means of relocation or long-term stay, "experiencing local life while suppressing living costs (rent, etc.)" was the overwhelming majority at 77.5%. This was followed by "lower economic and psychological risk than relocating immediately" (37.5%) and "wanting to know the real living environment (prices, inconveniences) of the region" (30%).

Q. Reasons for choosing "resortバイト" as a means of relocation or long-term stay