TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Consolidated travel revenue of 14 companies*of JTB Group in May rose 8.5 percent from last year to 96,113 million yen, of which overseas travel was 29,962 million yen, up 15.7 percent. Overseas group travel, package tours, and FIT exhibited a good performance with a growth of 47.3 percent, 6.4 percent, and 24.8 percent, respectively. As to group travel, ordinary group saw a 35.4 percent growth, while educational tours recorded a stunning growth of 269.2 percent as they bounced back from the serious slump caused by the influenza epidemic a year ago. Sales of package tours were mixed; LOOK JTB was almost flat at a fractional increase of 0.3 percent, while media retailing scored a gain of 14.3 percent.

The number of customers handled rose 10.0 percent group-wide, and those booked on LOOK JTB were up 4.5 percent. From the viewpoint of JTB Group’s total customers, following destinations exhibited a positive growth over the previous year: Singapore (+66.6%), North America (+41.6%), China (+33.7%), Hong Kong (+30.3%), and Hawaii (+12.2%). As for LOOK JTB customers, the U.S. (+62.7%), Korea (+16.9%), Taiwan (+13.9%), and China (+11.0%) were in good shape; however, Europe and Oceania lost 3.9 percent and 22.8 percent respectively.

Sales of domestic travel climbed 5.1 percent to 63,297 million yen. Group travel was up 13.6 percent, but package tours sank 4.0 percent with Ace JTB falling 6.1 percent. Business of inbound travel was 2,854 million yen, up 15.5 percent.

Total revenue of 23 companies** of JTB Group was up 9.3 percent at 121,702 million yen, of which overseas travel was 39,921 million yen (+18.6%), domestic travel was 78,505 million yen (+4.9%), and inbound travel was 3,277 million yen (+13.7%).

* Fourteen companies of the Group are: JTB Hokkaido, JTB TOHOKU, JTB KANTO, JTB Tokyo Metropolitan, JTB Business World Tokyo, JTB Central Japan, JTB TOKAI, JTB Western Japan, JTB OSAKA, JTB Chugoku Shikoku, JTB KYUSHU, iJTB, JTB Global Marketing & Travel, and JTB Corp.

** Twenty-three companies of the Group are: in addition to the above 13 companies other than JTB Corp., JTB TRAVELAND, JTB Business Travel Solutions, JTB TRAVEL KYUSHU, JTB OKINAWA, JTB Asia Tourist, PTS, JTB Grand Tours & Services, JTB ISETAN TRAVEL SERVICE, JTB Media Retailing, and ASAHI SUN TOURS.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

Golf Digest Online Inc (GDO), which offers reservation services for golf courses and golf lessons, started on July 9 sales of golf package tours to Japan targeting at the wealthy Chinese. The sales agency is China’s REAGLE COMMERCIAL SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD which provides overall golf-related services in China. The two companies had formed a business tie-up contract in February, 2010. With the sale of these golf package tours, the business tie-up has officially started between the two companies. The sale, first focusing on Beijing, Shanghai and Hunan Province which have a large golf population, will be gradually expanded to boost other areas. In the medium- and long-term, GDO aims to capture 10,000 customers annually.

These package tours feature a golf course in the area popular to Chinese, accommodation at a luxurious hotel or Japanese inn, combining sightseeing and shopping. The package tour price is available, for instance, from 35,000 yuan (approximately 460,000 yen) which includes sight-seeing tours and shopping in Tokyo, golf in Fuji Hakone area and a superior hotel accommodation. While Golf Digest Online cooperates in planning the golf package tours, REAGLE COMMERCIAL SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD sells the products, by telephone sales or by its newsletters, targeting at its membership of some 200,000.

Meanwhile, PR Branding Dept. of Golf Digest Online said that the package tours, as they feature a prestigious golf course, target mainly at the wealthy FIT travelers. However, as GDO also plans to enhance the line-up of golf package tours, there is the possibility of putting low-priced package tours on the market. In the future, GDO will be planning tour products combining golf and medical tourism as well as Osaka- and Hokkaido-based package tours.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

Rakuten Travel, Inc and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) have concluded an agreement to boost business development in efforts to plan and sell package tours jointly, targeting Japanese travelers, especially, to enhance FIT market. Specifically, KTO provides Rakuten Travel tourism contents necessary for travel products while Rakuten Travel addresses sales promotional activities for Korean travel products, taking advantages of its own website as well as Rakuten’s website. The agreement has been renewed every year since 2008. The agreement this year, the third, aims to attract more customers from the regional markets, launching a sales promotion campaign during the period from July to December this year.

Charm Lee, President, Korea Tourism Organization, said that it intends to supply the Japanese travel market with tourism contents which encourage FITs from Japan to Korea’s regional cities during the period from 2010 to 2012, focusing on a diversity of allure which the regional cities offer to create a travel demand from Japan. As the year 2010, in particular, observes the “Year of Visit Chungcheong Korea,” Korea Tourism Organization plans to feature, among other local tourism contents, Chungcheognam-do Buyeo where “Baekjae History Restoration Complex” is slated for opening in September this year and Andong where traditional Confucian cultures can be experienced, KTO President explained.

Masashi Okatake, President, Rakuten Travel, joined him to say, “Although Shanghai is trying to catch up with Korea capitalizing on Expo 2010 Shanghai, Korea is still considered as the most favored overseas destination by Japanese,” showing his expectation for the growing tourism in Korea. Rakuten Travel will plan, in the future, to increase optional tours for its Dynamic Package tours. In concert with Korean land operators Rakuten Travel aims to merchandize its own local tours and also will plan to address bookings of the regional transportation system including Korea Train eXpress (KTX). Furthermore, Rakuten Travel intends to launch a call center in Korea exclusively for its members traveling in Korea to assist them when planning regional trips, said CEO Okatake.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.