The woman on a mission to promote Stoke
Yuri Kawakami-Shotton has been recognized for her successful efforts in promoting Stoke-on-Trent's pottery industry to Japanese tourists. Her tours and pop-up events have significantly boosted interest in local ceramics and businesses like The Rabbit Hole Tea Room.
Why it matters
This demonstrates how niche cultural tourism and international marketing can revitalize struggling local manufacturing sectors.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Rebecca Harper , in Stoke-on-Trent and Shehnaz Khan , West Midlands BBC Yuri Kawakami-Shotton has been praised for her efforts in showcasing Stoke-on-Trent pottery to people in Japan A woman has been praised for her efforts in promoting the city of Stoke-on-Trent to Japan.
Yuri Kawakami-Shotton runs Peak and Pottery Tours at the city's Spode Museum, showcasing the region and the Potteries to overseas visitors from Japan.
She said she was inspired to spread the word about the city after watching a BBC News report about pottery firms falling into administration.
"My father-in-law said: 'Oh, because no one's buying a dinner set anymore'," she explained. "And I said, 'Japanese people would buy, Japanese people would go to the museum and things. I can do that, I can maybe promote it for this city'."
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