Japan's First: Small-Scale Demonstration Begins for a Travel Product Model Connecting RV Rentals and Car-Stay Facilities
The Kyushu Regional Tourism Revitalization Consortium has launched a demonstration of a new travel product combining light campervans and car-stay facilities. This initiative aims to establish an RV travel model that integrates movement, stay, and experience, promoting tourism decentralization and regional revitalization.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 21:00
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A new option has emerged for enjoying travel in Kyushu. The Kyushu Regional Tourism Revitalization Consortium (represented by Trust Park Co., Ltd.), in collaboration with "Kei Journey," a light campervan rental specialist in Saga City, and Ogita Commercial Architecture Design Office Co., Ltd.'s "Itoshima Kitchen Palette," has begun a demonstration of a new service that combines light campervans with the car-stay spot "RV Park smart Itoshima Kitchen Palette."
This demonstration is a pioneering initiative in Japan, integrating travel by "light campervan" with the car-stay experience at "Itoshima Kitchen Palette." Its objective is to establish a new regional tourism model and RV travel product that provides "movement," "stay," and "experience" in a one-stop manner, which were previously fragmented. By transforming the act of "moving" itself into travel value and integrating "movement, stay, and experience," the consortium aims to implement a stay-type regional tour experience model.
**Background of the Demonstration**
In recent years, challenges such as soaring accommodation costs, booking difficulties, and crowded tourist destinations have become apparent. On the other hand, while campervan travel has gained attention, it remains a high hurdle for beginners due to concerns about driving and equipment, the difficulty of finding car-stay spots, and the effort required for planning and arrangements, thus hindering its widespread adoption. Additionally, conventional RV park facilities often have restrictions on reception and check-in times, which can limit the flexibility of travel itineraries. To address these issues, Trust Park, which provides car-stay services, has partnered with Kei Journey, which started a light campervan rental business in Saga City, and Itoshima Kitchen Palette to undertake this service demonstration.
**Overview of the Demonstration Service**
In this demonstration, the consortium will verify the potential of combining light campervans from Saga City with car-stay plans in Itoshima City as an RV travel product that even beginners can easily use. They will establish a streamlined booking process for both rental cars and car-stay locations, enabling flexible itinerary planning unconstrained by arrival times through unmanned check-in. Furthermore, by combining this with local experiences such as sightseeing, gourmet food, and saunas, they aim to create regional experience value that goes beyond mere movement and stay. Concurrently, they will verify the effectiveness of this model in creating new accommodation infrastructure in the region by utilizing existing parking spaces and idle spaces.
**Expected Effects of this Demonstration**
This demonstration aims to create new value for travelers, local businesses, and local communities by integrating travel by light campervan, stay at car-stay bases, and regional experiences.
**Item**
**Expected Effect**
**Freedom from Time Constraints**
Unmanned check-in and the nature of car-stay allow for flexible travel tailored to the user's pace, such as late-night arrivals or early-morning departures, realizing "travel unconstrained by time."
**Easy-to-Start Mobility for Beginners**
Light campervans are easy to handle and can be driven with a familiar driving sensation, lowering the psychological barrier to campervan use and contributing to the expansion of travel styles.
**Decentralization of Tourism and Promotion of Regional Tours**
Mobile stay styles that do not rely on accommodation facilities will alleviate concentration in urban areas and promote regional tours between different areas.
**Revitalization of Regional Stays**
By using car-stay bases as hubs, "stay-type regional tours" that allow enjoyment of surrounding sightseeing, food, and activities will be realized, creating deep regional travel experiences.
**Resolution of Accommodation Shortages and Utilization of Regional Resources**
By utilizing existing parking spaces and idle spaces at tourist facilities, accommodation functions can be expanded at low cost, addressing accommodation shortages during peak seasons and effectively utilizing regional resources.
**Enhancement of Travel Experience**
By integrating movement, stay, and experience, it will be content-ized as RV travel, creating high-value regional stays.
**Potential as Disaster Prevention Infrastructure**
Utilizing the car-stay function, it is also expected to be used as a means of decentralized evacuation during disasters.
**Future Developments**
This demonstration will start with a small-scale package product connecting "Kei Journey," a light campervan rental specialist in Saga City, and "RV Park smart Itoshima Kitchen Palette" in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Going forward, this initiative will serve as a model case to expand collaborations with travel agencies, tourism associations, local governments, and regional DMOs across various regions. By combining RV rental operators in each region with nearby car-stay facilities, hot spring facilities, restaurants, and tourism experiences, the consortium aims to create unique RV travel products tailored to each region and travel products as Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) return gifts.
This will enable regions with few accommodation facilities or those wishing to extend visitors' stays to accept travelers smoothly by utilizing existing parking spaces and private facilities. The Kyushu Regional Tourism Revitalization Consortium will verify booking channels, sales methods, and user needs through this demonstration, and proceed with building an RV travel product model that can be easily deployed in various regions.
This demonstration is a pioneering initiative in Japan, integrating travel by "light campervan" with the car-stay experience at "Itoshima Kitchen Palette." Its objective is to establish a new regional tourism model and RV travel product that provides "movement," "stay," and "experience" in a one-stop manner, which were previously fragmented. By transforming the act of "moving" itself into travel value and integrating "movement, stay, and experience," the consortium aims to implement a stay-type regional tour experience model.
**Background of the Demonstration**
In recent years, challenges such as soaring accommodation costs, booking difficulties, and crowded tourist destinations have become apparent. On the other hand, while campervan travel has gained attention, it remains a high hurdle for beginners due to concerns about driving and equipment, the difficulty of finding car-stay spots, and the effort required for planning and arrangements, thus hindering its widespread adoption. Additionally, conventional RV park facilities often have restrictions on reception and check-in times, which can limit the flexibility of travel itineraries. To address these issues, Trust Park, which provides car-stay services, has partnered with Kei Journey, which started a light campervan rental business in Saga City, and Itoshima Kitchen Palette to undertake this service demonstration.
**Overview of the Demonstration Service**
In this demonstration, the consortium will verify the potential of combining light campervans from Saga City with car-stay plans in Itoshima City as an RV travel product that even beginners can easily use. They will establish a streamlined booking process for both rental cars and car-stay locations, enabling flexible itinerary planning unconstrained by arrival times through unmanned check-in. Furthermore, by combining this with local experiences such as sightseeing, gourmet food, and saunas, they aim to create regional experience value that goes beyond mere movement and stay. Concurrently, they will verify the effectiveness of this model in creating new accommodation infrastructure in the region by utilizing existing parking spaces and idle spaces.
**Expected Effects of this Demonstration**
This demonstration aims to create new value for travelers, local businesses, and local communities by integrating travel by light campervan, stay at car-stay bases, and regional experiences.
**Item**
**Expected Effect**
**Freedom from Time Constraints**
Unmanned check-in and the nature of car-stay allow for flexible travel tailored to the user's pace, such as late-night arrivals or early-morning departures, realizing "travel unconstrained by time."
**Easy-to-Start Mobility for Beginners**
Light campervans are easy to handle and can be driven with a familiar driving sensation, lowering the psychological barrier to campervan use and contributing to the expansion of travel styles.
**Decentralization of Tourism and Promotion of Regional Tours**
Mobile stay styles that do not rely on accommodation facilities will alleviate concentration in urban areas and promote regional tours between different areas.
**Revitalization of Regional Stays**
By using car-stay bases as hubs, "stay-type regional tours" that allow enjoyment of surrounding sightseeing, food, and activities will be realized, creating deep regional travel experiences.
**Resolution of Accommodation Shortages and Utilization of Regional Resources**
By utilizing existing parking spaces and idle spaces at tourist facilities, accommodation functions can be expanded at low cost, addressing accommodation shortages during peak seasons and effectively utilizing regional resources.
**Enhancement of Travel Experience**
By integrating movement, stay, and experience, it will be content-ized as RV travel, creating high-value regional stays.
**Potential as Disaster Prevention Infrastructure**
Utilizing the car-stay function, it is also expected to be used as a means of decentralized evacuation during disasters.
**Future Developments**
This demonstration will start with a small-scale package product connecting "Kei Journey," a light campervan rental specialist in Saga City, and "RV Park smart Itoshima Kitchen Palette" in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Going forward, this initiative will serve as a model case to expand collaborations with travel agencies, tourism associations, local governments, and regional DMOs across various regions. By combining RV rental operators in each region with nearby car-stay facilities, hot spring facilities, restaurants, and tourism experiences, the consortium aims to create unique RV travel products tailored to each region and travel products as Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) return gifts.
This will enable regions with few accommodation facilities or those wishing to extend visitors' stays to accept travelers smoothly by utilizing existing parking spaces and private facilities. The Kyushu Regional Tourism Revitalization Consortium will verify booking channels, sales methods, and user needs through this demonstration, and proceed with building an RV travel product model that can be easily deployed in various regions.