Travel Sectors

The number of home sharing hosts giving up their businesses reached 7,807 as of November 10 2020, according to Japan Tourism Agency, The major reason is 'Not expecting to make a profit' amid the COVID-19 crisis with a share of 49.1%.

JTB aims to achieve operating profit of 30 billion JPY as early as FY2024 and 45 billion JPY as early as FY2028, for which its new midterm business plan focuses on accelerating the digital-base business for new values and lifestyles services not only relying on people's movement.

ANA has decided to raise as much as 332.1 billion JPY by issuing new stocks to consolidate its financial base and to accelerate its business portfolio reform including purchase of efficient and eco-friendly Boeing 787.

JTB has started selling the subscription-typed resort working program in Okinawa, which allows you to use a hotel, co-working places, rent-a-car, delivery of baggage and flights to resort islands for a year whenever you want to, by paying 30,000 JPY.

ZIPAIR Tokyo, a JAL subsidiary LCC, will serve 16 Narita-Honolulu flights in the period between December 19 and the end of January 2021, offering a PCR test package at Narita Airport as an option service.

Posting record-high half-year deficit due to COVID-19, JTB is cutting 6,500 jobs and cost of 140 billion JPY and shutting 25% of all retail stores in Japan (115 stores) to survive the ongoing crisis and also is leveraging the domestic dynamic package business.

Japanese LCC Peach Aviation offers an antigen test opportunity to a passenger at test fee of 3,000 JPY on domestic Kansai-Miyazaki and Kansai-Amami routes. Peach expects to verify how the test is effective to improve travelers’ confidences.

Sales of 48 major travel companies unprecedentedly reduced by 78.9% year on year to 91.9 billion JPY in total in September 2020, and sales of domestic travel were down by 62.8% to 88.4 billion JPY, however, the monthly reduction rate improved from 76.3% in August.

KNT-CT Holdings has decided to carry out drastic business reform by giving up long-history package tour brands 'Mate' and 'Holiday,' closing two-thirds of retail stores nationwide and cutting one-third of all 7,000 employees to survive the current crisis.

HIS has started selling its package tour brand Ciao for Hawaii and Guam departing after December 20 2020, which include HIS’s original travel insurance and compensation for an unexpected cancellation before departing.

JAL is financing up to 168 billion JPY, looking at its business after COVID-19, to introduce environment-friendly A350 and to leverage the LCC business including ZIPAIR. Also, Smart Airport program, including contactless services, will be accelerated.

JAL Group posted operating revenue of 194.7 billion JPY (-74% year on year) and net loss of 161.2 billion JPY (net profit of 54.1 billion JPY a year ago) for the second quarter of FY2020, forecasting net loss of 270 billion JPY to 240 billion JPY for the full year of FY2020 ended March 31 2021.

JTB and IBM Japan signed a comprehensive partnership agreement on digital services to work together for DX acceleration in Japan, integrating JTB’s knowledge and insights in the travel industry with IBM’s advanced technologies and professional human resources.

Tourism EXPO Japan 2020 (TEJ 2020) opened in Okinawa on October 29 2020 as the first big tourism event in Japan amid COVID-19, where Japanese and world tourism leaders gathered online or offline to discuss recovery of the tourism industry.

ANA has decided to transform its business model drastically to survive the today's crisis, launching a new LCC brand for middle-range international services and building a new platform business by dividing ANA Sales. Final net loss for FY2020 ended March 31 2021 is expected to reach 510 billion JPY.

PCR Test Center will open for both passengers and non-passengers in Narita International Airport on November 2 2020 to issue negative certificate as early as two hours from check-in, working together with Nippon Medical School.

JTB has started dealing with Japan Railways (JR) tickets on ‘JTB Dynamic Package MySTYLE,' which enables travelers to choose a a package of railway and accommodation based on dynamic pricing, in addition to conventional package of flight and accommodation.

Japanese influential economy body Keidanren or Japan Business Federation is addressing promotion of Workcation in Japan, working together with Japan Travel and Tourism Association and Workcation Alliance Japan.

HIS launched a new digital service on its smart phone booking site by combining AI-based chat with real customer communication like in-store customer service, expecting to meet needs of contactless services under new normal.

JAL’s subsidiary LCC ZIP AIR TOKYO will start serving two flight a week between Narita and Seoul on October 16 2020, four months later than the original plan, following restart of business travel between Japan and South Korea.