Digital
ANA sells air tickets on trip.com through NDC, making possible flight change, repayment or purchase of additional options
ANA has started selling international flight tickets on trip.com through Travelfusion, a NDC aggregator, allowing a user to change a flight, repay and purchase optional services in addition to booking and ticketing on trip.com.
Japanese AI speaker provider TradFit launches a new service to recommend a right hotel in a destination based on smartphone data
TradFit, a Japanese AI speaker provider for accommodation, launched a new service to recommend a right hotel in a destination based on data acquired from a user’s smartphone.
Spare-time job offerings by hotels in Japan reached record-high in December 2023 due to serious labor shortage
Timee, a spare-time job matching platform, revealed that the number of spare-time job offerings by hotels increased by about 4.2 times in December 2023 compared to a year ago. it resulted from serious labor shortage in the hospitality industry in Japan.
SNS and map app are more used as tools for collecting tourism information among Japanese travelers, and AI is more used during traveling
JTB Tourism Research & Consulting reported the survey results about usage of smartphone and travel spending in Japan. SNS is widely used not only for consumption-related information but also for news or current affairs.
ANA signs a strategic partnership with Trip.com Group to increase Chinese travelers to Japan, opening a flagship shop on its website and app
ANA has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Trip.com Group to increase travelers from China to Japan, opening a flagship shop and deliver LIVE commerce on Trip.com website and app.
Japanese taxi app ‘GO’ prepares for a ride-share service in Japan, supporting to taxi companies and local governments
Taxi app ‘GO’ provider is starting support services to taxi companies that are planning to start a ride-share service, developing an app for ride-share drivers and a management system for operators and local governments.
Tokyo Metro tests a new multi-language service transcribing voice station announcement on a smartphone without an app
Tokyo Metro and YAMAHA will begin testing a new multi-language service ‘Visualized Announcement’ transcribing voice announcements in a station on a smartphone.
ANA launches a new virtual trip app, eyeing creation of a community and services for daily life as an entrance to an ANA economic zone
ANA NEO, an ANA Group company for digital solution, has launched a virtual trip platform app ‘ANA GranWhale,’ where a user as an avatar can enjoy virtual travel space ‘V-TRIP’ and a virtual shopping space ‘Sky Mall.’
Hankyu a major Japanese travel agent, and NAVITIME JAPAN work together to develop tours for inbound luxury travelers
Hankyu Travel International, a major travel company of Japan, and NAVITIME JAPAN, a navigation app provider, will jointly develop tours for luxury inbound travelers.
A major Japanese data company opens a capsule hotel specializing in sleep analysis as ‘sleep tech’
NTT Data, a major Japanese data company, will open a capsule hotel specializing in sleep analysis, acquiring, accumulating and analyzing sleep data using infrared cameras, sound-collecting microphones, and body movement sensors.
Amazon launches ‘Alexa’ for hotels as part of its first BtoB services, making bulk installation in a property possible
Amazon Japan (Amazon) has begun offering ‘Alexa Smart Properties (ASP)’ as a service for businesses using the personal AI assistant Alexa. Tokyu Hotels & Resorts will introduce Echo Show 8 to 56 premium class rooms at the lifestyle hotel "SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL" that will open in Sapporo on January 16 2024.
Airbnb Japan introduces its first new functions exclusively forJapan, reflecting the current trends of increases in group guests and stays in local areas
Airbnb Japan has introduced new specific functions for Japan in line with the recent trends in the Japanese market, saying that guests choose locations other than famous tourist spots and prefer to group travel.
Tokyo Ota creates a digital SENTO (public bathhouse) experience tour for foreign travelers arriving in Haneda Airport
Digital SENTO(public bathhouse) experience tour for foreign travelers who arrive in Haneda Airport located in Ota area is developed as a Japan’s unique tourism attraction.
Japan Travel and Tourism Association builds a digital platform to help local regions use tourism data analysis
Japan Travel and Tourism Association has built ‘Japan Travel and Tourism Association Digital Platform’ to help local regions use tourism data analysis for sustainable tourism business, offering a basic function and a paid extension function.
A Japanese real estate sharing service provider is preparing for selling new crypto-assets as a money-raising means, offering rights to stay in properties to buyers
NOT A HOTEL, a Japanese real estate sharing service provider, has signed MOU with GMO COINS to prepare for selling new crypto-assets as a money-raising means, trying to build a scheme for everyone to own and use NOT A HOTEL properties all together.
Digital Wallet for Osaka Kansai EXPO is in service on November 1, naming e-money as ‘MYAKU-PE！’ and reward point as ‘MYAKU-PO！’
‘EXPO 2025 Digital Wallet’ service started on November 1 2023 to connect the EXPO with wallet users, nicknaming e-money as ‘MYAKU-PE!' and reward point as ‘MYAKU-PO!’
Tourism DX on an app for rent-a-bicycle users is tested in Shimanami area, a popular destination in Japan for cyclists
Shimanami Japan, a local DMO, has started tourism DX demonstration on its app for rent-a-bicycle users in Shimanami area in order to increase local spending by them.
Booking.com apologizes the unpaid matter to partners, explaining it results from shift to a new payment system
Booking.com released a apology letter to partners regarding delay of payment to partners and explained that it happened in the process of shifting to a new payment system to secure higher security.
Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau installs generative AI on its official website, responding inquiries with more than 20 different languages
Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau will install multi-language generative AI ‘Kotozna laMondoI’ with a capability of more than 20 different languages on its official website.
Experience booking platform ‘Klook’ starts selling a package of accommodation and local activities in Japan particularly for young generations
Local experience booking platform ‘Klook’ has started offering ‘Stay +,’ a package combing accommodation booking with in-destination products such as such as airport railway tickets or theme-park admission tickets.
