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Enhancing Destination Attractiveness

Enhancing Destination Attractiveness

The JTB Group is about much more than delivering rewarding experiences to its customers. We are also committed to enhancing destination attractiveness and safeguarding community rights.

Supporting the Local Economy

We create jobs and support 'Buy Local' campaigns.

Supporting Local Communities

The JTB Group's approach to destination development seeks to strike a balance between local economic benefits and environmental, cultural and social concerns. We are particularly mindful of the rights of indigenous peoples.

Reducing Overtourism

The JTB Group is working to reduce overtourism and eliminate its adverse effects on local communities and the environment.

Specific Initiatives 1:〈 Destination Accessibility 〉 Yamanashi Tourism MaaS*
Yamanashi Prefecture, located just a few hours by car from Tokyo, is rich in tourism resources.
Its scenic spots and wineries are particularly popular with visitors. Unfortunately, many of these attractions are situated far apart from one another and aren't readily accessible using the prefecture's transportation grid. With some 70% of visitors arriving in their own vehicles, traffic congestion has become a growing challenge for the prefecture as has finding solutions to help drivers avoid the temptation of getting behind the wheel after wine-tasting.
To address these challenges, the JTB Group is partnering with the cities of Kofu, Yamanashi, Fuefuki, and Koshu to conduct pilot testing of an innovative new system called the Yamanashi Sightseeing MaaS. Designed to facilitate travel within the prefecture by connecting visitors, tourist attraction operators and transportation providers, this platform provided a one-stop source for confirming optimal travel routes, making reservations, and processing payment.

See for information regarding JTB sustainability initiatives at Nabegataki Falls

* MaaS (Mobility as a Service) platforms harness the power of digital technology to integrate multiple modes of public and private transportation, enabling users to search for information, book reservations, and make payments through a convenient 'one stop' portal.

Specific Initiatives 2:〈 MaaS Software 〉 Tourism Platform Gateway™ (TPG)
JTB has developed proprietary software to power Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms for the tourism industry. This software can be used to support solutions that increase visitor mobility, boost local spending, and reduce traffic congestion through optimized vehicle routing.

Specific Initiatives 3:〈 Digital Tickets 〉 PaaSket
This Android app validates the receipt of electronic tickets issued through the Ticket HUB® platform. Through integrated QR code verification and contactless ticket stamping, PaaSket helps control crowding at venue entry points.

Area Development Partnerships

The JTB Group collaborates with local communities, schools, research institutions and a wide range of other partners to enhance destination attractiveness.

Specific Initiatives:〈 Bringing together business, academia, government and the financial sector* 〉 The Shinano-Omachi Mizunowa Project
This collaborative undertaking in Nagano Prefecture brings together a diverse array of stakeholders to tackle the community's most pressing socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Management Partners (Omachi City, Suntory, JTB, etc.) provide project leadership while 'Partners' provide sponsorship support on an initiative-by-initiative basis and 'Project Supporters' (tourism operators, local media outlets, etc.) furnish additional assistance.
Stakeholder diversity plays a key role in creating new value and promoting sustainability. Inspired by Omachi's abundant water resources, this project seeks to promote socioeconomic and environmental sustainability by providing greater exposure for local traditions and products. The Mizunowa Marché, launched as part of this project, provides a convenient online platform for shopping for Omachi products and learning more about the area and its sustainability efforts.

* In ventures involving project and technology development, partnerships between business, government and academia (universities, research institutes, etc.) are becoming increasingly popular. Inviting front-end participation by financial institutions opens up new possibilities by facilitating project funding and providing access to financial expertise and a wider circle of potential partners.

Supporting the Sustainability Efforts of Local Businesses

The JTB Group creates new visitor streams through an approach we call 'Connecting Supply and Demand'. This involves harnessing JTB Group's vast domestic and international market reach to connect demand (departure points) with supply (arrival points). We help destinations identify, develop and market signature content in order to widen their 'fan base', attract new visitors and boost sales of local products. Leveraging its 100-plus years of experience and its presence in all 47 prefectures across Japan, the JTB Group is engaged in a wide range of destination development initiatives with a primary focus on:

  • Destination revitalization through digital transformation
  • Food, agriculture, and local industry as vehicles for creating dynamism
  • Creating a healthier planet through eco-friendly development

Specific Initiatives:〈 Eco-Friendly Destination Revitalization 〉 e-bike Donations
As part of its efforts to promote eco-friendly destination revitalization, JTB has recently donated a fleet of electric bikes to the Oze Katashina Village Tourism Association.
Oze National Park, located about 150 kilometers north of Tokyo, is a government-designated 'Zero-Carbon Park'. Under this designation, the park's tourism development initiatives must adhere to strict principles of carbon neutrality and environmental responsibility. With park visitation steadily waning over the years, park officials recognize the need to identify and attract new visitor demographics and to develop value-added products.
JTB's recent donation of e-bikes will help support the development of new tour content/routes, revitalize local industry, and increase visitor traffic while conserving the park's ecosystem.

Community Relations

The JTB Group creates opportunities for dialogue with community residents in order to better understand and address their needs and concerns.

Specific Initiatives:JTB Group Code Hotline
The JTB Group Code Hotline responds to concerns raised by customers and community residents anywhere we conduct business.

Conserving Cultural & Natural Resources

The JTB Group is working to preserve cultural and natural resources around the world. We strive to create new value by working collaboratively with local stakeholders to preserve sites of historic importance and perpetrate indigenous culture.

Preservation Efforts

We abide by local conservation rules and respect the boundaries of sensitive and sacred sites.

Collaboration with Stakeholders

We are committed to educating travelers about local do's and dont's, selecting qualified tour operators/guides, and adequately training our people.

Cultural & Environmental Dialogue

The JTB Group provides its customers with opportunities to engage with community residents in order to deepen their understanding of indigenous peoples and local environmental concerns.

Specific Initiatives1:〈 Understanding Indigenous Cultures 〉Ainu Cultural Experiences
JTB Hokkaido tour options give participants the opportunity to immerse their five senses in the history, lifestyle and traditional culture of the indigenous Ainu people. Hands-on experiences include a traditional Ainu welcoming ceremony, Ainu wood carving, Ainu cuisine and presentations by native Ainu guides.

Specific Initiatives2:〈 Understanding Indigenous Cultures 〉Discovering Aboriginal Culture at Uluru (Ayers Rock)
JTB tours around the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock) give participants the opportunity to learn about Australia's indigenous folklore while walking this sacred Aboriginal site.

Mori no Nigiwai (Buzz in the Woods)

The JTB Group's Mori no Nigiwai (Buzz in the Woods) cultural extravaganzas are signature JTB events that offer travelers unique opportunities to experience the rich cultural and artistic heritage of 'local' Japan.
Through partnerships with local government agencies and destination management organizations (DMOs), Mori no Nigiwai productions have evolved into full-scale stage productions that perpetuate traditional culture, provide support for young artists, and bring fresh energy to local communities across Japan.

Specific Initiatives
In January 2023, Mori no Nigiwai Okinawa celebrated Okinawa's rich cultural heritage with the following performances:

  • ・Ryukyu Classical Dance (Yotsutake) by the Mori no Nigiwai Invitation-Only Dance Team
  • ・Ryukyu Taiko Drum performance by Chijinshu Wakat-da
  • ・Folk entertainment by 'Requios' Creative Arts Troupe, ShoryuDan Dance Troupe, and Okinawa Bojutsu Preservation Association
  • ・Ryukyu Zo-odori, Wakashu, and Men's Dances by the Mori no Nigiwai Invitation-Only Dance Team
  • ・Traditional Eisa performances by the Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Drummers
'Let's Talk Travel'

Launched in 1983 on the occasion of JTB's 70th anniversary, JTB Travel and Culture Lectures have been captivating audiences for decades. As part of JTB's ongoing support for culture and the arts, this lecture series has given hundreds of prominent national and international figures the chance to share their unique perspectives on travel and the human experience.

Specific Initiatives
In 2023, JTB's Travel and Culture Lecture, focused on sustainable tourism, was held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

  • ・Part One: Mālama Ku'u Home: Hawai'i's Journey toward a Regenerative Tourism Model
  • ・Part Two: Sustainable Tourism, What We, the Travelers, Can Do