TokyoTomo Travel Guide

The financial results of Rakuten Travel for the second quarter (January 1 – June 30, 2010) turned an operating profit of 4,110 million yen, up 15.6 percent from last year, on revenue of 10,197 million yen, up 21.2 percent. The growth is attributable to a wider range of merchandise following the broader collaboration with East Japan Railway Company (JR-East) and accelerated demand of business trip reflecting the economic recovery. Gross sales in retail terms soared 22.4 percent to 172.6 billion yen, and the number of nights booked for accommodation rose 13.3 percent over last year. At the press interview held on August 5, Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman and CEO of Rakuten Inc., was quoted as saying, “Strong leisure demand worked for our good performance.”

On a quarterly basis from April to June, gross sales were up 20.6 percent to 9,080 million yen with 8.3 million nights booked for accommodation, up 13.1 percent. Actual revenue was 5,322 million yen, up 23.5 percent while operating profit was 2,040 million yen, up 17.1 percent. What is worth mentioning is that group bookings named “Ride-share” made a remarkable growth benefiting from the Twitter and the Facebook to attain half a billion yen a month in gross sales. Mikitani says this model is setting a new trend and that its monthly gross sales will reach somewhere around one billion yen by the end of this year.

Masashi Okatake, president of Rakuten Travel, disclosed that they will handle sooner or later international trips originating in foreign countries and bound for some other countries, like trips to Guam made by Chinese or Koreans, for example. They are in the process of establishing a new website for this purpose, and will soon start negotiation with hotels at the destinations for necessary arrangements.

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.