Tokyo, Japan, January 22, 2025 - JTB has partnered with Airbnb Japan (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ward, Tokyo) to strengthen and expand accommodation infrastructure in rural areas across Japan. We provide know-how and programs that help solve the challenges of improving accommodation to promote tourism in local communities, utilizing vacant homes where the population is declining and tourism resources are underutilized.

The initiative aims to support the sustainable development of entire local communities by deepening engagement with residents. This aligns with our mission of "Bringing People, Places and Possibilities Together."

■ Background and Purpose of Collaboration

In recent years, local governments throughout Japan have found it challenging to promote tourism despite attractive tourism resources because they lack appealing accommodation environments. Concurrently, the number of vacant homes, numbering more than 8 million nationwide, has become a serious social problem, even amid a shortage of lodging facilities during seasons and events with tourism potential.

In an effort to work through these challenges, JTB is exploring ways to enhance its partnership with Airbnb Japan, the world's largest accommodation booking platform. As part of our commitment to improving the experience for those visiting, we are working to enhance the accommodation environment. We also aim to revitalize communities and create new economic opportunities by engaging with local residents.

JTB has committed itself to helping realize a community-based multicultural society through various initiatives. The primary objective of this initiative is to revitalize the entire region by fostering a complementary relationship between existing accommodation facilities and the development of a new environment to welcome visitors.

■ Main Activities

1. Proposal and implementation of co-creation projects with local businesses

JTB and Airbnb Japan will support the creation of a new tourism model through the development of experiential tourism programs that utilize regional resources and the re-evaluation of tourism resources. Through these activities, we will strengthen engagement with local businesses and promote sustainable interaction.

2. Hosting workshops to consider the future of the region together

We will initially host 10 workshops per year for local residents and related parties in multiple regions across Japan. These workshops will be held with the aim of co-creating solutions to the issues faced by each region.

3. Conducting the "Home Sharing School : How to Get Started" program

We will share specific examples of home-sharing host businesses that provide rooms for lodging (e.g., a model case of converting a vacant house into lodging) and create an environment in which local businesses can start their own business operations.

■ Future Outlook

We aim to develop initiatives based on this partnership in 100 regions across Japan by 2028 to build sustainable regional infrastructures centered on the development of a welcoming environment.

In particular, we will focus on eastern Japan and work to revitalize the entire region through the "Home Sharing Movement," aiming to create employment and promote migration. In addition, we are looking to expand the options for accommodations in the region as a whole in cooperation with existing lodging facilities to meet diverse accommodation needs.

■ Overview of the Collaboration Between JTB and Airbnb Japan to Date

Since our business alliance in 2018, JTB and Airbnb Japan have been working together to contribute to tourism promotion and regional development, including a new Business Continuity Plan (BCP) model to help provide accommodation facilities in the event of a disaster and a demonstration project for "empty-handed tourism services" utilizing ICT for foreign visitors to Japan. The partnership will further develop the existing collaboration and promote decentralization of tourism and exchange-based tourism.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

https://news.airbnb.com/about-us/