News
Ministry of Transport of Japan budgets 450 million JPY for COVID-19 countermeasures toward restart of international cruises
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has decided to give financial supports to 16 seaports in Japan to help them address COVID-19 countermeasures toward restart of international cruises.
PCR test facilities open in Haneda Airport domestic terminals, serving quick antigen tests for domestic flight users
‘COVID-19 PCR Test Center’ opened in the first and the second passenger terminal of Haneda Airport, serving a quick antigen test mainly for domestic flight passengers.
JAL confirmed perfect validity of CommonPass for departure from Narita and arrival in Singapore
JAL and the Commons Project confirmed that a PCR test result on digital health passport ‘CommonPass’ was perfectly accepted at Narita Airport in departure and Singapore Changi Airport in arrival.
JTB builds a virtual space platform to offer a variety of tourism and e-commerce experiences in Japan with avatar operation
JTB will build ‘Virtual Japan Platform’ to offer a variety of Japan's experience contents on a virtual space including e-commerce, together with Fun Japan Communications and FIXER, having an initial goal of 10 million active users by 2024.
Japanese guest nights slightly picked up in February 2021, but the low occupancy rate was still low with 27%
Japanese guest nights was down 46% year on year to 17.6 million in February 2021 , slightly higher than a 49.7% reduction in January, and the average occupancy rate was 26.9%, improving a little from 23.4% in January.
HIS opens unstaffed stores to provide shoppers in malls with online travel consultation
HIS will open unstaffed stores to provide online travel consultation in ‘Aeon Mall’ in Hokkaido and Aomori, using VR technology of Nurve.
Japanese experienced overseas travelers are aggressive about travel in Japan as well, according to the sentiment survey
JTB Tourism Research & Consulting's survey shows that Japanese who experienced overseas travelers in 2019 traveled in Japan in 2020 more frequently than those who experienced domestic travel only in 2019.
Hankyu Hanshin Hotels will close unprofitable five hotels to survive the ongoing crisis
Hankyu Hanshin Hotels will close five unprofitable hotels under its business structure reform to survive the ongoing pandemic crisis, as its holding company has revised downward its net loss forecast for FY2021 to 40 billion JPY.
ANA becomes the first Japanese airline to demonstrate CommonPass, verifying the digital health accreditation on the Haneda-New York route
ANA and The Commons Project demonstrated digital health accreditation ‘CommonPass’ on the NH10 flight from Haneda on March 29 in cooperation with two Japanese volunteers. This was the first CommonPass trial by a Japanese airline, followed by JAL on April 2.
Narita and Haneda airports test face recognition boarding procedures without showing a boarding pass and a passport
Narita and Haneda airports will start testing face recognition boarding procedures ‘Face Express’ on April 13 2021, using the NEC biometric identification technology.
JAL ties up with Uber as a strategic partner in North America and Hawaii
JAL and Uber have agreed to a strategic partnership to use the Uber ride-sharing service and food delivery service in North America and Hawaii on JAL app.
ANA launches two new companies to establish a Mileage-based Ecosystem on a super app and to accelerate a local revitalization business
ANA Group will kick into gear to establish a Milage-based Ecosystem on its developing super app, launching ‘ANA X’ as a platform business company and ‘ANA Aknido’ as a local revitalization business company.
ANA Sales starts selling package tours for Hawaii departing after July this year, providing infection prevention services
ANA Sales has started selling package tours for Hawaii departing from July 1 to December 24 this year, offering infection prevention services, such as a transport service for a limited group between the airport and Waikiki.
Tokyo Olympics gives up welcoming foreign spectators, paying sold tickets back to them
Five leading organizations for Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer have decided to give up welcoming foreign spectators to ensure safe and security for Japanese people and to pay sold tickets back.
JAL and NEC jointly demonstrate the face recognition processing with a mask on in Kagoshima Prefecture
JAL and NEC will jointly demonstrate the face recognition precessing with a mask on at Kagoshima Airport and in Kirishima City until April 21 2021, testing how it works in travel experiences.
Airbnb is willing to contribute to creation of ‘engaged travelers’ in Japan, trying to increase Japanese guests
Airbnb County Manager Japan Yasuyuki Tanabe talked about 'relationship travelers' in Japan, which are expected to increase Airbnb guests, and also explained the latest awareness survey on Japanese minds to restart traveling.
HIS still remained in large losses for the Q1 of FY2021, giving up shifting to a holding company system
HIS continued posting worse financial results for Q1 of FY2021 (November 1 2020 to January 31 2021), posting net loss of 8 billion JPY, and announced to give up shifting to a holding company system in November 2021 originally to survive the current challenging situation.
Digital health passport ‘Common Pass’ links to a health management app for Toho University PCR test results in Japan
The Commons Project is progressing in Japan through partnership for Common Pass with Toho University and Ishinban to link PCR test result data at the Toho University Haneda Airport Clinic.
32 governors, two-third of all 47, request restart of ‘Go To Travel,’ claiming tourism is essential for local economy
Governors of 32 prefectures, two-third of all 47 prefectures, jointly requested gradual restart of ‘Go To Travel' in low-infection prefectures first and extension of the term beyond originally the end of June this year to boost local economy.
‘Engaged travelers’ are estimated at 18.3 million in Japan with 20% of all residents traveling to a particular local community
Relationship travelers, who visit particular local community for a particular purpose, is estimated at 18.27 million, about 20% of all 106 million 18 years old or older residents nationwide, which consist of 8.61 million (18.4% of all residents) in three major urban areas and 9.66 million (16.3% of all residents) in other local areas.
