Nippon Travel Agency or NTA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a strategic alliance with MEDIACONNECT, a subsidiary of Agence France-Presse (AFP). By leveraging ‘MediaConnect,’a global PR platform operated by the company, NTA will launch an initiative to disseminate information about various regions across Japan to journalists worldwide, with a target start date of January 2027.
Through this venture, NTA aims to facilitate activities such as media coverage and familiarization trips for international outlets, foster exchanges between local governments/businesses and overseas partners, organize business meetings, and organize events. By 2030, NTA intends to generate new business opportunities, including the attraction of inbound visitors and the promotion of regional products and traditional crafts in international markets.
Information will be sourced from local governments, DMOs, regional businesses, tourism-related associations, and educational institutions. The promotion of local tourism assets, such as culture, cuisine, nature, and experiential offerings, will be directed toward attracting international visitors, hosting site visits for overseas media and travel agencies, organizing fam trips, and executing regional promotional campaigns.
Also, in terms of the technologies, products, traditional crafts, food items, and sustainability initiatives of local enterprises and industries, the partnership will create opportunities for engagement with overseas companies, buyers, and media, while facilitating business negotiations, the development of new sales channels, and expansion into international markets.
