Kotohira Bus Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kotohira Town, Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture; Representative Director: Taijiro Kusunoki) will launch "Kotohira Travel," a regional tourism platform, on March 31, 2026, allowing travelers to view and book experiences and tours to enjoy during their stay in Kotohira Town all in one stop.

Addressing Kotohira's challenge of having an average stay of only 1.13 nights despite attracting 2.11 million visitors annually, the bus company that has been responsible for regional transportation responds from the perspective of experiences. The platform is equipped with a system to help travelers, as well as digital nomads and multi-site residents based in Kotohira, find "what to do next," and supports Japanese, English, and Traditional Chinese.

Why Did a Bus Company Create an Experience Platform?

For many years, Kotohira Bus has operated highway buses from Takamatsu, Osaka, and Kobe, as well as local route buses, continuously bringing travelers to Kotohira. However, the environment for travelers to find out "where to go next" or "what to experience" after getting off the bus was not sufficiently developed.

Born out of the recognition of the issue, "Even if they come by bus, there was no reason for them to stay in Kotohira," Kotohira Travel was created. It is designed not only for tourism operators but also as a place where people living in the region can offer their daily lives and skills as experiences.

[Kotohira's Current Situation: High Visitor Numbers, Short Stays]

● Annual Visitor Numbers: 2,111 thousand people (2024, +7.0% year-on-year)

● Reason for Choosing Destination: 65.0% for "Pilgrimage to Konpirasan"

● First-time Visitors: 62.8% / Average Stay: 1.13 nights

Source: Kotohira Town Tourism Master Plan Visitor Survey, Kagawa Prefecture Reiwa 6 Tourism Dynamics Survey Report

How can we leverage the high visitor numbers originating from temple visits into longer stays, repeat visits, and in-region consumption? Kotohira Travel is a platform that addresses this regional challenge from the perspective of a private enterprise.

3 Features of Kotohira Travel

① One-Stop Booking: From discovering experiences to booking and purchasing on a single screen

We provide all the information needed for a stay in Kotohira: experience tours, accommodation, tourist spots, gourmet food, souvenirs, and people to meet—all through a single channel. Even on the day of arrival without a fixed itinerary, travelers can find experiences they can participate in with just their smartphone. It supports three languages: Japanese, English, and Traditional Chinese, anticipating use by inbound tourists.

② A System for Residents to Become "Creators"

Not only tourism operators but also residents of the region can register and offer their daily lives and skills as experiences. By increasing opportunities for direct connection between travelers and local residents, we design journeys that are remembered not for "tourist consumption" but as "encounters with people."

③ Supports Long-Term Stays: For Nomads and Multi-Site Residents, a "Kotohira That Never Gets Boring"

For digital nomads and multi-site residents who work and live based in Kotohira, the richness of experiences available to them for "what to do next weekend" is a key factor in continuing their stay. Kotohira Travel is designed not just for first-time visitors but as a daily platform that can be used repeatedly.

Examples of Experience Programs Currently Available for Booking

※ Prices are examples and may vary depending on the season, content, etc.

Making "Gofukuan Ame" (Good Fortune Candy) at a long-established candy store for 28 generations (7,500 yen)

Sanuki Udon Making Experience (3,250 yen)

Strolling the approach to the shrine in rented kimono (7,000 yen)

Create your own bracelet with your favorite beads (3,850 yen)

Comment from Taijiro Kusunoki, Representative Director of Kotohira Bus Co., Ltd.

Taijiro Kusunoki, Representative Director of Kotohira Bus Co., Ltd.

"Until now, Kotohira Bus's job was to transport travelers here. But after they got off the bus, how they spent their time in Kotohira was something they had to figure out on their own. They would visit Konpirasan, and then go home. That always bothered me.

Kotohira Travel is a place where local residents can offer their expertise as experiences and meet travelers. It's a system where not only tourism operators but also local people can offer their daily lives as experiences.

We believe that by having people who visit for pilgrimage come next to meet someone, that accumulation will make Kotohira a 'place they want to return to, again and again.' We are not just transporting people by bus; we are also creating the experiences that await them after they get off."

Future Developments

We will further expand collaboration with local residents and businesses to continue developing experience content. We will also sequentially work on information dissemination to help imagine spending time in Kotohira before arrival, and propose multi-destination tours with surrounding areas.

Through Kotohira Travel, we aim to evolve Kotohira from a 'destination for pilgrimage' to a 'destination worth visiting repeatedly,' contributing to the creation of fans, repeat visitors, and relationships with the community.

Service Information

Service Name

Kotohira Travel

Official Website

https://www.kotohira-travel.com/

Supported Languages

Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese

Service Start Date

March 31, 2026

Content Offered

Experience tours, accommodation, sightseeing, gourmet food, souvenirs, people to meet, etc.

[Company Profile]

Company Name: Kotohira Bus Co., Ltd. Representative: Taijiro Kusunoki Location: 1045-1 Gojo, Kotohira Town, Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture Business Overview: General passenger land transport business (express buses/route buses) / General chartered passenger land transport business (chartered buses) / Travel agency business Official Website: https://www.kotobus.com/

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: News