Japan Domestic Travel

JR East, a Japanese railway company, and Satoyume, a local revitalization business start-up, launched a special-purpose company for ‘Hotels along the line’ project.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has launched the ‘Pokémon GO’ program in Odawara City to help visitors discover local history by virtually placing poke stops on the game.

Airbnb Japan signed a partnership agreement with Iida City and local DMO South Shinshu Tourism in Nagano Prefecture to explore farm stay in south Nagano area for local revitalization.

57.6% of surveyed companies hope that domestic travel boosting ‘Go To Travel’ program will be restarted within FY2021, and the ratio was 76% among lodging, dining and entertainment service industries.

The latest Jalan Research Center's survey shows that majority is people who intend to travel, but still wait and see, even though vaccination has been extending nationwide.

Tokyo Metro and Bureau of Transportation Tokyo Metropolitan Government started selling all-you-can-ride ‘Tokyo Subway Ticket’ and a package with Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Sky Tree admissions even for residents in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

The occupation rate of 100 hotels in Kyoto City is expected to recover to 52.6% in November this year from 27% in September due to higher domestic travel demand after declaration of a state of emergency was lifted.

Mt.Fuji Area Tourism DX Innovation Consortium including Panasonic begins demonstration tests for ‘free-hand tourism’ in the area by using face recognition digital pass for payments and entries in Fuji Kyuko railway and tourism facilities.

one of major travel agencies in Japan, Developing its original vaccination passport ‘Smart Corona Pass,’ working on LINE, Tobu Top Tours will use it for the government-led vaccination package demonstration program.

11 travel companies join the government-leading ‘vaccination and test package’ demonstration for their selected 38 tours departing mostly from Tokyo to a variety of destinations nationwide.

Since declaration of a state of emergency related to COVID-19 in Japan was lifted, travel and transportation companies have seen good signs for demand recovery. How are their businesses changing?

Japanese guests in 100 hotels in Kyoto City were up 30.4% in August 2021 compared to a year ago or down 20.6% compared to two year ago. DMO KYOTO has foreseen that the occupancy rate will rise in November, the autumn leaves month, due to ease of travel restriction.

Ministry of of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will begin demonstrating ‘vaccination and test package' for designated tours or accommodations, following lifting of declaration of a state of emergency on September 30 2021.

Okinawa Convention &Visitors Bureau (OCVB) and other organizations will build a tourism data platform to visualize data on tourist needs, movements and consumption for effective delivery of tourism information and expansion of tourist spending.

Airbnb Japan signed a partnership agreement with Tatsuno Town in Nagano Prefecture, in which Airbnb gives financial supports for renovation of old folk houses and trial Workcation.

Rakuten Travel opened a special page featuring more than 1,000 lodgings with specific benefits for vaccinated travelers on its booking site.

ANA has started selling a 3-days/2-nights tour for Miyakojima with A380 ‘FLYING HONU,’ which is usually operated for the Honolulu flights. The tour will be performed on October 30 this year.

Japanese Prime Minster Yoshihide Suga said, "“The government has a plan to ease restrictions even under declaration of a state of emergency, and taking advantage of a vaccination or test certificate package."

JR East, a railway company, will serve ‘Suica Smart Lock,' which allows you to use Suica, JE East IC card for payment, as an entrance key for a hotel or an office.

JTB Tourism Research & Consulting’s regular awareness survey finds that 34.5% said they have plans to travel within the next year by June 2022, particularly higher ratios among in 20s to 30s males and females and 60 years old or older males.