Digital

The awareness of ‘Clubhouse,’ a talked-about audio communication app, is 37% on average, but the rate rises to 47% among 20s. The ratio of ‘I want to use it’ is 14% among 20s, much higher than 5% overall, according to the Cross Marketing’s survey.

The top two websites in the travel and transport category were ‘jalan.net' and ‘Rakuten Travel’ in the same manner as a year ago. TripAdvisor, JR East and Yahoo! Travel were among top five, but all of them reduced visitors by around 20% compared to a year ago amid the pandemic.

JTB is accelerating digital-based human-touch services in Tourism, Area Solution and Business Solution fields, shifting its selling channels from retailers or call centers to smart devices-oriented Online Mergers with Offline amid its digital transformation efforts.

Odawara Tourism Association in Kanagawa Prefecture has started selling online tour ‘Online Ninja Experience (ONE),' expecting that Ninja will be a tourism content to attract international travelers after the pandemic.

HIS has launched ‘TABIFLEEEEEK,’ a paid membership online community to create new travel services or products with ideas from the travel lover community and to seize demands after the pandemic.

JTB has developed ‘JTB MaaS API Gateway’ as a tourism-oriented MaaS software. The software provides travelers with seamless services from product search, booking and payment to mobility experience through API connection between the gateway and tourism operators’ apps.

JTB is enhancing the tourism platform function through a new partnership with BOUKUN, a TripAdvisor business unit for a management service of local tours or attractions. Also, JTB revealed introduction of ‘OLI’OLI Hawaii app’ for its customers traveling in Hawaii.

Public and private exhibitors for Tourism EXPO Japan Tokyo Business Meetings & Travel Festa deliver messages online because the event was cancelled amid the state of emergency declaration in Tokyo.

JTB aims to achieve operating profit of 30 billion JPY as early as FY2024 and 45 billion JPY as early as FY2028, for which its new midterm business plan focuses on accelerating the digital-base business for new values and lifestyles services not only relying on people's movement.

JTB and IBM Japan signed a comprehensive partnership agreement on digital services to work together for DX acceleration in Japan, integrating JTB’s knowledge and insights in the travel industry with IBM’s advanced technologies and professional human resources.

NAVITIME Japan surveyed what Tokyo residents searched for their travels after Tokyo was added in the government’s domestic travel recovery campaign ‘Go To Travel' in comparison between the first weekend of October and the first weekend of September. The most-searched prefecture for public transportation was Ishikawa.

JTB has started dealing with Japan Railways (JR) tickets on ‘JTB Dynamic Package MySTYLE,' which enables travelers to choose a a package of railway and accommodation based on dynamic pricing, in addition to conventional package of flight and accommodation.

HIS launched a new digital service on its smart phone booking site by combining AI-based chat with real customer communication like in-store customer service, expecting to meet needs of contactless services under new normal.

Digital Native Generation in Japan is positive in new normal life amid COVID-19, saying like ‘Everything can be done with digital in my life (58.9%), while many answers are found in 'not keeping enjoying online services replacing real experiences.'

On ‘Google Flight,’ ‘Book on Google’ service is now available for ANA customers through NDC platform. No need moving from Google Flight to ANA official website for booking, purchase or even payment.

Japanese pioneer travel magazine AB-ROAD will terminate on March 31 2021. The operator Recruit Lifestyle explains that the termination results from recent changes of customers’ needs and business environment.

To raise travelers' confidences at an airport, JAL has introduced a contactless self-checkin kiosk at Haneda Airport as a trial in the beginning. You can check in with a finger in the air 3 cm off the display.

Airbnb will join the Japanese government’s leading domestic travel campaign ‘Go To Travel’ as a home sharing platform, offering discounted listings in the middle of this coming October.

Booking.com and Agoda join 'Go To Travel' campaign, the Japanese government's leading domestic travel recovery campaign. After each of partner accommodations or vacation rentals register themselves in the campaign, the OTA will sell them on its platform.

OYO Japan is launched, integrated OYO LIFE and OYO Hotels into 'One OYO Japan' brand, to raise its awareness in the Japanese market.