Addressing Labor Shortages in the Tourist Destination of Nagasaki: Tsunagu Group Supports Huis Ten Bosch in Promoting the Success of Foreign Talent

Tsunagu Group Holdings, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Mitsuhiro Yoneda; hereinafter "Tsunagu Group"), which provides RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) and recruitment consulting, has supported Huis Ten Bosch Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sasebo, Nagasaki; President and Representative Director: Kotaro Takamura; hereinafter "Huis Ten Bosch"), a theme park and hotel operator, in building a comprehensive acceptance framework that allows foreign talent to work with peace of mind.

Amidst declining population and labor shortages, securing human resources has become a major challenge for regional tourist destinations, particularly in the hospitality and service industries. This initiative aims to support the sustainability of the tourism industry by creating an environment where multinational talent can continue to work in the region, while also serving as a model for addressing the growing need for foreign talent utilization.

Background of Support for Huis Ten Bosch: Securing Talent to Support the Tourism Industry as a Management Priority

It is projected that Japan will face a labor supply-demand gap of approximately 5 billion hours annually by 2030, and the shortage of service staff is becoming particularly apparent in regional tourist destinations.

Huis Ten Bosch already employs approximately 30 foreign staff members, positioning them as "Host Crew" who create value together. The company has been developing an acceptance framework that includes recruitment, visa change procedures, and support as a registered support organization.

However, with the launch of new brand themes and business investments since the fall of 2023, the following have become new management challenges:

・Creating a workplace environment where multinational talent can demonstrate their abilities.

・Expanding the number of foreign staff hires.

To address these challenges, a full-scale collaboration has begun to integrate everything from system development and recruitment design to on-site retention support.

Key Points of the Initiative: Building an "Acceptance Foundation" for the Era of Labor Shortages

In this support project, the following three initiatives were promoted to enhance the ability to respond to future labor shortages:

1. Development of Recruitment Systems and Procedural Foundations Based on National Regulations

When recruiting foreign talent, administrative procedures and regulatory requirements differ by country, which can become a barrier to scaling recruitment. In the Philippines, for example, specific procedures such as MWO registration are required, which can be time-consuming to understand and coordinate.

Tsunagu Group organized the differences in national systems and took over the handling of necessary procedures and local coordination to reduce the burden. As a result, a system capable of accepting talent from multiple countries, including the Philippines, has been established.

2. Creating a Workplace Where Multinational Staff Can Work with Peace of Mind

As recruitment progressed, communication challenges due to language and cultural differences became apparent on-site. In response, Tsunagu Group conducted training for Japanese staff on "Easy Japanese" and cultural sensitivity. They organized characteristics of work styles by country, tips for giving instructions using Easy Japanese, and ways to provide feedback with cultural consideration, conducting case studies based on actual on-site incidents.

This supported the creation of an environment that promotes mutual understanding across the workplace and makes it easier for multinational talent to stay long-term.

3. Strengthening Communication to Convey Information to Multinational Talent...