BSTi = Business School of Travel Industry = 旅行産業経営塾 (ryoko-sangyo-keiei-juku). It is strongly linked to Trajal Hospitality & Tourism College.
When I was a student at BSTi, the academy’s principal was 山田・學 (YAMADA Manabu), who celebrated his 80th anniversary in February 2014. Yamada-san incites his students/colleagues to enjoy life and work, and to make a better world through travel. He also considered organizing the BSTi human network to empower Japan’s tourism industry while serving society.
I met many colleagues travel agents from other Japanese travel agencies while studying at BSTi or attending seminars in Japanese organized by BSTi after my graduation. I have been the first non-Asian student of BSTi (there is at least one sempai from South Korea). The BSTi alumni in Japan sometimes gathers in Tokyo.
BSTi seminars cover many topics including the future of Japan’s tourism and travel industry, domestic travel, inbound travel, outbound travel, local/national benefits, experience sharing, yearly events… Once, we discussed the creation of an online platform to support inbound travel in Japan before the 2020 Olympic Games.
BSTi is also involved in the organization of yearly events.
Official Website of BSTi in Japanese: 旅行産業経営塾