Travel Sectors
KNT-CT, one of the leading travel agents in Japan, gives up its package brands and closes two-thirds of retail stores
KNT-CT Holdings has decided to carry out drastic business reform by giving up long-history package tour brands 'Mate' and 'Holiday,' closing two-thirds of retail stores nationwide and cutting one-third of all 7,000 employees to survive the current crisis.
HIS, one of the leading Japanese travel agents, begins selling package tours for Hawaii and Guam with travel insurance
HIS has started selling its package tour brand Ciao for Hawaii and Guam departing after December 20 2020, which include HIS’s original travel insurance and compensation for an unexpected cancellation before departing.
JAL is financing up to 168 billion JPY by issuing new stocks for introduction of efficient A350s and enhancement of the LCC business
JAL is financing up to 168 billion JPY, looking at its business after COVID-19, to introduce environment-friendly A350 and to leverage the LCC business including ZIPAIR. Also, Smart Airport program, including contactless services, will be accelerated.
JAL forecasts up to 270 billion JPY in deficit for the full year of FT2020, losing 161.2 billion JPY for Q2
JAL Group posted operating revenue of 194.7 billion JPY (-74% year on year) and net loss of 161.2 billion JPY (net profit of 54.1 billion JPY a year ago) for the second quarter of FY2020, forecasting net loss of 270 billion JPY to 240 billion JPY for the full year of FY2020 ended March 31 2021.
JTB and IBM Japan create a joint venture based on JTB System Solutions to work together for DX in Japan
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.
Tourism EXPO Japan 2020 was organized in Okinawa as the first big New Normal MICE in Japan toward a new tourism era
Tourism EXPO Japan 2020 (TEJ 2020) opened in Okinawa on October 29 2020 as the first big tourism event in Japan amid COVID-19, where Japanese and world tourism leaders gathered online or offline to discuss recovery of the tourism industry.
ANA drastically transforms its business model to survive the crisis, launching a new LCC for middle-range international services
ANA has decided to transform its business model drastically to survive the today's crisis, launching a new LCC brand for middle-range international services and building a new platform business by dividing ANA Sales. Final net loss for FY2020 ended March 31 2021 is expected to reach 510 billion JPY.
Narita Airport opens PCR Test Center to issue a negative certificate as early as two hours
PCR Test Center will open for both passengers and non-passengers in Narita International Airport on November 2 2020 to issue negative certificate as early as two hours from check-in, working together with Nippon Medical School.
JTB adds Japan Railway tickets in its dynamic pricing products, making possible a package of railway and accommodation
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.
Keidanren or Japan Business Federation seriously focuses on Workcation, working together with the tourism association
Japanese influential economy body Keidanren or Japan Business Federation is addressing promotion of Workcation in Japan, working together with Japan Travel and Tourism Association and Workcation Alliance Japan.
HIS launches a new digital service combing AI-based chat with face-to-face customer communication
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.
JAL LCC ZIP AIR TOKYO finally launches two Narita-Seoul flights a week on October 16 2020
JAL’s subsidiary LCC ZIP AIR TOKYO will start serving two flight a week between Narita and Seoul on October 16 2020, four months later than the original plan, following restart of business travel between Japan and South Korea.
Air Asia Japan steps out from Japan, hit by COVID-19, stopping all of its services on December 5 2020
Air Asia Japan will withdraw from all of its services in Japan on December 5 2020, suspending all of its flights since April amid COVID-19. It has judged the LCC business in Japan will no longer survive.
HIS reduced travel business revenue by 33% in 3Q of FY2020, falling into operating loss of 12 billion JPY
HIS suffered from large decreases in revenue and profits in the third quarter of FY2020 (November 1 2019 to July 31 2020), as the main travel business decreased operating revenue by 32.5% to 3346 billion JPY and fell into operating loss of 12 billion JPY from operating profit of 8.2 billion JPY a year ago.
Japan Tourism Agency requests 16.8 billion JPY in the FY2021 budget for tourism policies including DX and Workcation
The budgetary request of Japan Tourism Agency for FY2021 starting April 1 2021 amounts to 16.8 billion JPY (about $159 million), and another budgets for DX and Workcation promotion will be considered later, depending on the COVID-19 situation.
HIS raises $214 million for new hotel developments and system investment through the third-party allocation of shares
HIS, one the largest Japanese travel agents, will raise 22.6 billion JPY (about $214 million) through the third-party allocation of shares in order to accelerate new hotel developments and IT system developments.
Peach Aviation, a Japanese LCC, introduces a Workcation system for its employees
Japanese LCC Peach Aviation introduced a Workcation system for its employees, as one of trials to develop Workcation products for individual travelers or companies in the future.
HIS, one of the largest Japanese travel agents, offers 15 days and 30 days overseas Workcation tours with a flexible cancelation policy
HIS has started selling ‘LIVING TRAVEL’ to meet consumers’ needs of overseas Workcation in Honolulu, Bali, Bangkok, Cairns and Amsterdam departing from Japan after November 2020.
AB-ROAD, the most popular travel magazine for Japanese overseas travelers, will end its long history on March 31 2021
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.
This year’s Tourism EXPO Japan will be organized in Okinawa in a hybrid format
This year’s Tourism EXPO Japan in Okinawa will be held for four days between October 29 and November 1 2020, organizing both in live and online for business meetings and international conferences amid COVID-19. Next year it will go to Osaka again.
