JTB Corp. announces an investment in Tablecloth Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "TC"), which operates "byFood.com", a food platform for foreign visitors to Japan, for the purpose of enhancing the Japanese food experience for foreign visitors to Japan and promoting gastronomy tourism (*1).

*1: A type of tourism that that aims to enjoy food nurtured by the ingredients, customs, traditions, and history of the local climate and to experience the local food culture.

Background

　JTB has long been aware that (1) every region has its own unique local food culture, (2) food and beverage expenses account for approximately 22% of all spending by foreign visitors to Japan during their stay, the second highest after shopping and accommodation expenses, and (3) "having Japanese food" has the highest customer satisfaction in "experiential" consumption during their travel. (*2) Given the high potential of foods as a customer contact point, we have focused our attention on this field and have incorporated it into our solutions for attracting visitors to Japan in various regions.

　TC, on the other hand, already offers a one-stop solution through "byFood.com" to the two challenges faced by local governments and companies nationwide: attracting visitors and brushing up on content - it includes various services such as influencer marketing, creation of promotional videos of Japanese food experiences, restaurant reservations, and sales of Japanese food through cross-border e-commerce after returning home. This investment follows a business alliance with TC that will lead to more advanced visitor attraction solutions than ever before, and ultimately to the promotion of gastronomy tourism.　

*2：(2)(3) are quoted from "Survey of Foreign Visitor Consumption Trends" by the Japan Tourism Agency.

byFood.com Website

Future Initiatives

In order to realize the tourism policies of "sustainable tourism" and "promotion of regional attraction" in the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan, JTB will plan and provide "solutions to issues for local communities" and strengthen efforts to attract foreign visitors to Japan to local regions in cooperation with local municipalities. Specifically, JTB will develop unique solutions and propose them to local governments and DMOs (*3) by leveraging the knowledge of both companies. In addition, JTB will provide a one-stop system from promotion to verification of measures to attract visitors.

*3:Destination Management Organization

Comments from the CEO Kaoru Joho and COO Serkan Toso from Tablecross Inc.

　Today, Japan's food culture and history are attracting worldwide attention. While the number of foreigners who want to visit Japan has increased, we feel that refining the experiences and services we can offer to visitors to Japan, including the development of an environment that welcomes travelers, is an urgent issue for Japan that has been under the influence of COVID-19. As a team with both Japanese and global perspectives, we would like to be a bridge to the world, to promote gastronomy tourism in Japan, and to support the realization of Japan as a tourism-oriented nation. We hope that through this collaboration, we can also contribute more to the economic revitalization of Japan.

CEO/COO Greeting: https://tablecross.com/en/about-tablecross/

Through this initiative, JTB will accelerate the promotion of gastronomy tourism by connecting "food" in Japan, which is highly acclaimed worldwide, and inbound travel to Japan to solve regional issues. Leveraging the strengths of both companies, such as selling "byFood.com" food experience tours through the JTB network, we will offer visitors from various countries a deep taste of Japanese "food" and diverse local cultures, towards the realization of a sustainable society.

Tablecross Inc. / Company Profile

Tablecross Inc. / Business Content

・Operation of byFood.com, Japan's one-stop food platform for foreign tourists

・Marketing consulting for restaurants

・Food experience creation and product development consulting

・Overseas promotion (video production, influencer marketing, etc.)