News

sales of 43 major travel companies in January 2025 were up 3.0% year on year to 230.5 billion yen, and sales in package tours in total almost halved to 48.5 billion yen In comparison with January 2019.

VELTRA, a Japanese local experience booking platform, signed a business partnership with MSC Cruises to launch a cruise booking platform ‘VELTRA Cruise.’

JAL Group made up a Rolling Plan 2025 to accomplish goals under Medium-Term Management Plan FY2021-2025, targeting EBIT of 230 billion yen in FY2028 by creating new businesses to solve social challenges.

The number of Japanese outbound travelers in February 2025 was up 20.7% year on year to 1,181,200, still 23.0% fewer travelers than February in 2019.

The number of international visitors to Japan in February 2025 was up 16.9% year on year to 3,258,100, marking the first over 3 million in February for the first time.

Tobu Railway will begin serving a luxury bus ‘SPACIA X NIKKO CRUISER’ in Nikko area in October 2025, connecting with the railway’s special express train ‘SPACIA X’ from Tokyo.

The Future City Pavilion of EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai was completed. 12 Japanese leading manufacturers and organizations showcases their innovations for the future society.

Air Canada has started serving authentic Japanese inflight meals overseen by Micheline Star chef in the the Signature Class on the Japan-Canada routes since March 2025.

Tourism EXPO Japan 2025 Aichi/Central Japan will be held with a theme of ‘‘Travel for Discovery and New Encounters.’ at Aichi Sky Expo from September 25 to 28, expected 100,000 visitors.

NAVITIME JAPAN, a Japan’s leading navigation app provider, began linking to Omio in Europe, which allows NAVITIME Transit users to book and purchase train tickets in U.K., Italy and Spain.

Hyatt Hotels launched a new upper-middle short-stay brand ‘Hyatt Select,’ which offers effective and reasonable stay, keeping basic comfortability.

Tokyo Metro will start a new service to enable a passenger to get on subway with touch payment of credit card or QR code for 24-hours digital ticket, using e-ticket booking platform Linktivity’s scheme.

Hokkaido District Transport Bureau launched a website to inform foreign backcountry skiers or snowboarders of three tips for safer experiences.

The number of international guests in December 2024 was up 22.9% year on year to 15.4 million. The ratio of those staying in local regions expanded from 28.2% in December 2022 to 33.6% in December 2024.

ANA Holdings has decided to place new orders for 77 aircraft in total in order to prepare for an increase in international flight demand, including inbound travel demand to Japan, in the future.

IHG Hotels & Resorts announced that its opened hotels in Japan have reach 50 in total, as three new brands of Six Senses,’ ‘Vignette Collection’ and ‘Garner’ recently entered Japan for the first time.

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) hosted ‘Japan Luxury Showcase 2025,’ a BtoB event for global travel companies that have luxury travel customers. 40 buyers from 16 countries and 45 domestic sellers met for business discussions.

The number of general passport issues was up 8.8% year on year to 3.7 million in 2024, and the passport holder percentage was just 16.8% of the entire population of 123 million.

ANA and U.S.-based OTA Hopper have begun selling ANA tickets through IATA’s leading New Distribution Capability (NDC), powered by Ireland-based Openjaw Technologies and delivered through Travelfusion, a major content aggregator.

Air X, a helicopter tour operator, has begun selling a private jet tour with pets to Iki Island in Nagasaki. The private jet tour takes travelers to the island for 2 hours and 5 minutes from Tokyo.