JR East x KKday: Business Alliance to Promote Inbound Tourism in Eastern Japan Begins

East Japan Railway Company (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Yoichi Kise; hereinafter 'JR East') and KKDAY JAPAN (Japan Branch: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Branch Manager: Kimiharu Obuchi; hereinafter 'KKday') have concluded a business alliance agreement to promote inbound tourism in the East Japan area. By combining KKday's 'digital customer touchpoints in overseas markets' with JR East's 'railway network and regional relations,' the two companies will expand pre-trip and during-trip content for inbound tourists in the East Japan area. Furthermore, by collaborating with diverse stakeholders such as regional businesses, local governments, and DMOs, they will build a mechanism where people and content gather and circulate, contributing to the creation of attractive regions in the East Japan area. 1. Purpose of the Business Alliance In recent years, with the increase in inbound travelers, there has been a growing need for highly convenient tourism services that allow for integrated reservations of transportation and regional experiences. Meanwhile, the East Japan area faces challenges such as the need to expand information dissemination and sales channels during pre-trip and during-trip phases, a shortage of local experience-based content, and the necessity to improve multilingual support and payment environments to directly reach international individual travelers (FIT). KKday has a global sales network including Taiwan and other Asian markets, as well as Europe, the US, and Australia. It excels in creating and selling experience-based tourism products and maintains a reservation/sales infrastructure supporting multiple languages and currencies. On the other hand, JR East has been working to create tourism content in collaboration with regional businesses and local governments, based on its railway network spanning the entire East Japan area. By fusing the assets of both companies, they will build a seamless new inbound tourism model that consistently supports travelers 'from pre-trip to during-trip,' aiming to promote attraction to the East Japan area and expand the market base. 2. Details of the Business Alliance (1) Expansion of regional content such as experiences and sightseeing Utilizing JR East's network with local regions, they will uncover regional content such as experiences and sightseeing provided by local businesses. Additionally, leveraging KKday's expertise, they will provide hands-on DX support, including multilingualization of content and system implementation, to establish an environment where products can be sold smoothly on the KKday app. (2) Creation of products utilizing JR East Group assets They will promote the creation and sale of products that combine regional content with assets operated by the JR East Group, such as experience-based content, accommodations, and commercial facilities. This aims to increase circuitous travel, expand destinations, and enhance the value of stays during the trip. (3) Expansion of bundle products They will bundle JR train tickets and railway passes with regional content incorporating JR East Group assets. By removing barriers related to language and payment that inbound tourists face, they will provide a seamless environment where everything from experiences to transportation can be arranged in one stop, thereby increasing convenience. (4) Strengthening promotion for inbound attraction Utilizing KKday's global sales network and in-house promotion infrastructure, they will strengthen information dissemination for tourism and experience products in the East Japan area, particularly focusing on the Tohoku region. By strengthening customer touchpoints in pre-trip and during-trip phases, they will create and expand inbound tourism demand for the East Japan area. (5) Co-creation with local businesses and governments With the aim of expanding regional content and improving the environment for receiving inbound tourists, they will collaborate with local governments to hold joint briefing sessions and product development workshops for regional businesses. They will also work on promotions in collaboration with local governments and DMOs to strengthen the overall reception system of the region. 3. Towards the Future of the Region Through this alliance, JR East and KKday will together build a sustainable mechanism for tourism co-creation where people and content gather in each region and innovation continues to be born. They aim for a circular growth model that leads to the development of regional leaders and value creation, beyond short-term tourist dispatch and sales expansion, opening up a new future for tourism that connects regions with the world. - Walk with a cute Akita dog! Akita Dog Walk & Health Walking! (Image provided by Healthcare Design Akita) - Aomori Nebuta Festival: Preferred viewing seats and special offers (Image provided by HIS Co., Ltd.)