Okinawa Adventure Travel, an Okinawa-based tour operator specializing in adventure travel, launched ‘Nature Travel Japan’ as a new destination management company (DMC). Under a brand name of ‘Japan Adventure Travel,’ the DMC creates and sells inbound travel tours across Japan including Okinawa for travel agents in foreign countries and regions.
Okinawa Adventure Travel was launched as a subsidiary of Katana, a marketing company that will open a theme-park ‘JUNGLIA’ in Okinawa in the summer 2025. Okinawa Adventures, a Okinawa Adventure Travel’s brand, remains its tour operator function in the business framework of DMC.
Naoko Takeda, a Nature Travel Japan manager, said, “Only if we create Okinawa Adventures’ tours and appeal to international adventure travelers, they do not visit Okinawa. I thought we need a network with travel agents in foreign countries.’
Takeda got the idea when she joined ‘Adventure Travel World Summit 2023 (ATWS)’ in Hokkaido in 2023 and was asked a lot from foreign travel agents, “Okinawa is a nice destination for adventure travel, but our customers want to tour Tokyo and other areas as well. Who can we contact with for a nationwide tour in Japan?”
Okinawa Adventure Travel does not arrange a tour for other areas in Japan because it is a tour operator specializing in Okinawa. Takeda said, “We have missed an opportunity to bring international adventure travelers to Okinawa.”
Foreign adventure travelers tend to stay longer and prefer to experience a variety of adventure contents, but the needs are not met without a nationwide DMC to arrange tours across Japan.
To solve the challenge, Nature Travel Japan forms an alliance with five local adventure travel DMCs of Hokkaido Treasure Island Travel, Tokyo Yamagawa DMC, InOutbound Tohoku, Shikoku Tours and Hiroshima Adventure Travel under a brand of Japan Adventure Travel. Takeda said, “We would like to increase such DMCs that agree with our mission.”
Naoko Takeda
Tailer-made tours with consistent stories
Japan Adventure Travel is dealing with not only single local tours provided by each of the DMCs but also tailer-made tours nationwide with consistent stories, providing several model tours traveling across Japan, such as Japanese foods, family adventure travel or an e-bike.
“There are a lot of needs from inbound adventure travelers who want to enjoy local life more and see local people, but the system to meet needs has not been working well,’ Takeda said. “A DMC function for nationwide adventure tours, like us, can suggest another options to foreign travel agents, like if you can add two or three days in your itinerary, you can visit Hokkaido as well.”
The adventure travel DMC alliance strengthen not only suggestion or recommendation but also a selling and marketing function for whole Japan.
