JR East x KKday: Business Alliance Kicks Off to Promote Inbound Tourism in East Japan Area – Enhancing Pre- and In-Trip Content and Creating Attractive Regions

East Japan Railway Company (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yoichi Kisaki, hereinafter "JR East") and KKDAY Japan Co., Ltd. (Japan Branch: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Branch Manager: Kosei Obuchi, hereinafter "KKday") have concluded a business alliance agreement aimed at promoting inbound tourism in the East Japan area. By combining KKday's "digital customer touchpoints in overseas markets" and JR East's "railway network and regional relations," the alliance will expand pre-trip and in-trip content for inbound visitors in the East Japan area. Furthermore, by collaborating with diverse stakeholders such as local businesses, municipalities, and DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations) to build a mechanism where people and content gather and circulate, the alliance will contribute to creating attractive regions in the East Japan area. 1. Purpose of the Business Alliance In recent years, with the increase in inbound (foreign visitors to Japan) tourists, there has been a growing demand for highly convenient tourism services that allow for integrated booking of transportation and local experiences. On the other hand, the East Japan area faces challenges such as insufficient information dissemination and expansion of booking/sales channels for pre-trip and in-trip stages, a lack of local experience content, and inadequate multilingual support and payment environment development to directly reach free independent travelers (FITs) from overseas. KKday possesses a global sales network, primarily in the Asian market centered in Taiwan, but also including Europe, America, and Oceania. It specializes in creating and selling experience-based tourism products and has strengths in multilingual and multi-currency booking and sales platforms. JR East, on the other hand, has been working to create tourism content in collaboration with local businesses and municipalities, based on its extensive railway network across the East Japan region. By integrating the assets of both companies, we aim to build a seamless new inbound tourism model that consistently supports visitors "from pre-trip to in-trip," thereby promoting tourism to the East Japan area and expanding the market base. 2. Contents of the Business Alliance - (1) Enhancement of regional content such as experiences and tourism Utilizing JR East's network with local communities, we will uncover regional content such as experiences and tourism provided by local businesses. Furthermore, by leveraging KKday's expertise, we will provide accompanying DX support, including multilingualization of content and system implementation, to create an environment where products can be smoothly sold on the KKday app. - (2) Creation of products utilizing JR East Group's assets By promoting the creation and sale of products that combine regional content with experience content, accommodation facilities, and commercial facilities operated by the JR East Group, we aim to enhance circularity, expand destinations, and improve the value of stays during trips. - (3) Expansion of bundle products Regional content incorporating JR East Group assets will be bundled with JR tickets and railway passes and sold as bundle products. This will remove the language and payment barriers faced by inbound visitors, providing a seamless, one-stop environment for arranging everything from experiences to transportation, thereby increasing convenience. - (4) Strengthening promotion for inbound tourist attraction Utilizing KKday's global sales network and proprietary promotion platform, we will strengthen the dissemination of information about tourism and experience products in the East Japan area, especially focusing on the Tohoku region. By enhancing customer touchpoints both pre-trip and in-trip, we will create and expand inbound tourism demand for the East Japan area. - (5) Co-creation with regional businesses and municipalities To enhance regional content and improve the inbound acceptance environment, we will collaborate with local municipalities to organize joint briefings and product development workshops for regional businesses. We will also undertake promotions in cooperation with municipalities and DMOs to strengthen the acceptance system across the entire region. 3. Towards the Future of the Region Through this alliance, JR East and KKday will work together to build a sustainable tourism co-creation mechanism where people and content gather in each region, and new challenges continuously emerge. Beyond short-term customer acquisition and sales expansion, we aim for a circular growth model that fosters regional talent and creates value, thereby pioneering a new future for tourism that connects regions and the world. Walk with a cute Akita dog! Akita dog walk & healthy walking! (https://activityjapan.com/publish/plan/43339) Image provided by: Healthcare Design Akita General Incorporated Association Aomori Nebuta Festival: Preferred viewing seats and special offers (https://www.kkday.com/ja/product/284711) Image provided by: H.I.S. Co., Ltd.