Students as bridges? Achievements and challenges of a three-year university-community partnership for regional tourism in Japan

Purpose This study examines a three-year university-community partnership in Kashima City in Japan, where students served as intercultural bridges through student-led regional tourism promotion, demonstrating how service-learning generates community value while developing intercultural competencies.Design/methodology/approach This longitudinal case study employed collaborative action research (FY2021–2023), involving 58 students (33 Japanese, 25 international from 13 countries across six continents). Data sources included surveys (n = 34, 89% response), stakeholder interviews (n = 6), observations and international partner surveys (n = 24).Findings Through student-led initiatives, participants produced 12 promotional videos (from less than 1 minute to 3–5 minutes long) across three years and 16 bilingual posters, deployed in regional marketing. 100% of the Japanese students and 52% of the international students gained intercultural competence; 82% expressed willingness to continue promoting Kashima – an ambassador effect representing sustained advocacy. Structural challenges emerged: coordination burdens on volunteer staff, misaligned incentives and reliance on individual champions. Game-theoretic analysis suggests governance design can counteract suboptimal collaboration.Research limitations/implications As a single-case study, findings are not statistically generalisable, though the three-year longitudinal design provides transferable insights for resource-constrained regions.Practical implications Sustainable partnerships require institutional reforms (formal evaluation integration, dedicated liaisons, formalised agreements) beyond individual goodwill.Originality/value This study contributes to service-learning literature by demonstrating how student-led intercultural tourism initiatives can generate sustained community impacts in shrinking regions. Situated in Japan’s demographic crisis facing hundreds of municipalities, this research documents both achievements and structural challenges, offering a replicable model for university-community partnerships in resource-constrained contexts.