Entering an Era Where AI Chooses Travel Destinations: MATCHA to Launch 'Locally' in June 2026, a Media Platform Delivering Regional Information to Inbound Tourists

MATCHA Inc. launched a new media platform, 'Locally - Official Japan Travel Guides by MATCHA,' on June 1, 2026, enabling local tourism businesses to directly disseminate information to inbound tourists in multiple languages. In an era where AI influences the choice of travel destinations, the importance of 'who' is providing the information is increasing. Locally aims to create new points of contact between inbound tourists and local regions by building an environment where local tourism stakeholders can deliver information directly to the world. ■ 'I would have wanted to go if I had known' - Japan's regional areas are buried outside of search results. In May 2026, the Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) formulated a new 'Inbound Marketing Strategy' for the fiscal years 2026-2030. They defined the target traveler as 'a traveler who seeks authentic, locally-rooted experiences unique to the destination,' clearly positioning the attraction of tourists to regional areas as a national policy. Already, the Japan Tourism Agency's Survey on Overnight Travel Statistics (February 2026) shows that the number of overnight stays by foreign visitors in regional areas, excluding the three major metropolitan areas, increased by 7.8% year-on-year, surpassing the growth rate of the metropolitan areas. On the other hand, through its work with local governments, tourism associations, and accommodation facilities, MATCHA has identified the issue that 'although regions have charm, it is not sufficiently reaching inbound tourists.' Especially in rural areas, there are many cases where regions and experiences that tourists 'would have wanted to go to if they had known' remain undiscovered, buried due to the strength of search keywords and differences in information dissemination systems. Furthermore, we are now transitioning into an era where AI researches information on behalf of travelers, assisting with destination selection and bookings. The use of AI to reference tourism information is rapidly expanding, and the number of AI citations of MATCHA's media has reached over 10 million times per month (measured from December 2024 to March 2026). As AI changes how we encounter information, MATCHA believes that 'who' is providing the information will become more important than ever in choosing a travel destination. ■ Towards a new tourism infrastructure connecting inbound tourists and local regions. Locally is a new media platform for inbound foreign tourists, developed as a major update based on MATCHA's existing information dissemination service, 'MCM (MATCHA Contents Manager).' MCM is a service that allows local governments, tourism associations, accommodation facilities, and transportation operators to input information in Japanese, which is then automatically translated and disseminated in six languages. It has already been adopted by over 1,000 tourism businesses across all 47 prefectures in Japan. Locally builds on this track record and trust, evolving to meet the demands of the AI-era information environment. Previously, in attracting tourists to regional areas, there was a situation where regions and experiences that tourists 'would have wanted to go to if they had known' were difficult to reach due to the strength of search keywords and disparities in information dissemination capabilities. Locally not only provides an environment for local tourism businesses to directly disseminate information in six languages but also evolves its design to allow users to discover Japanese regions based on 'what they want to experience,' not just 'where they want to go.' It aims to create new points of contact between inbound tourists and local regions. Additionally, a new multilingual inquiry function from inbound tourists to local regions has been implemented. This creates an environment where interested potential and current inbound tourists can not only view information but also connect directly with the regions. Functions of Locally that connect regions and inbound tourists 【Main Features of Locally】 ● Local tourism stakeholders can directly disseminate information in 6 languages Local governments, tourism associations, accommodation facilities, transportation operators, etc., can disseminate multilingual information for inbound tourists simply by inputting it in Japanese. ● Multilingual inquiry function to directly connect inbound tourists and local regions Inquiries from inbound tourists are accepted in multiple languages, and replies are also handled with automatic translation, reducing the communication burden for both regions and tourists. A key feature is the ability to understand what inbound tourists are looking for in a region through the content of their inquiries. ● Discover new travel destinations, not dependent on 'regional name searches' Information is organized by 'themes and experiences' such as fireworks, hot springs, nature, Wagyu beef, and local culture. The aim is to create an environment where users can encounter the hidden charms of Japan, unaffected by the strength of search keywords. ● Create new regional recognition through special feature pages and advertising Initiatives are planned to deliver information about yet-unknown regions and experiences to inbound tourists through themed special features and advertising measures. ● UI design starting from a map of Japan The top page features a map of Japan to help inbound tourists intuitively search for regions, strengthening the user flow to direct their attention to local areas. ◾️ Industries that can use Locally Locally emphasizes the reliability of tourism information and will primarily feature businesses involved in regional tourism. Local governments, tourism associations, DMOs Transportation operators (airlines, railways, buses, etc.) Accommodation facilities Leisure and commercial facilities ■ Online Briefing Session for Locally In conjunction with the launch of Locally, an online briefing session will be held for eligible businesses, including local governments, tourism associations, DMOs, transportation operators, accommodation businesses, and leisure/commercial facilities. The session will introduce the concept and utilization of Locally, points on multilingual information dissemination, and new features such as the inquiry function that connects inbound tourists with local regions. 【Event Overview】 Date and Time: Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 13:00-14:00 Format: Online Target Audience: Local governments / Tourism associations, DMOs / Transportation operators / Accommodation businesses / Leisure and commercial facilities Participation Fee: Free Sign up here Yu Aoki Comment from CEO Yu Aoki I founded MATCHA with the belief that Japan has many undiscovered charms. As I use AI daily, I realize that the way we encounter information and make decisions is beginning to change significantly. In the travel domain, it will become commonplace for AI to assist with destination selection and information gathering. In such an era, I believe what becomes more important is 'who' is providing the information. Through our engagement with local governments and tourism businesses nationwide, we at MATCHA have felt the challenge that 'although regions have charm, it is not sufficiently reaching inbound tourists.' Regions and experiences that people 'would have wanted to go to if they had known' have not yet reached the world. With Locally, we want to create new points of contact between inbound tourists and local regions by establishing an environment where local tourism stakeholders themselves can deliver information directly to the world. We will continue to take on challenges to create a world where Japan's valuable culture and regional charms persist while changing with the times. ■ About MATCHA Inc. With the mission 'to make the world fans of Japan,' MATCHA Inc. operates the multilingual media 'MATCHA' for inbound and resident foreigners. MATCHA disseminates information on Japanese tourism, culture, and regions in 10 languages, attracting 3.33 million unique users from 227 countries and regions worldwide. We also provide multilingual information dissemination tools and offer inbound marketing support for local governments and tourism businesses. Company Name: MATCHA Inc. CEO: Yu Aoki Established: December 3, 2013 Location: 1F LIT HIGASHI-NIHOMBASHI, 2-24-9 Higashi-Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Business: Media business for inbound tourists, multilingual information dissemination support, inbound marketing support URL: https://company.matcha-jp.com/