On January 15, JTB held a press conference to announce the JTB Group’s long-term vision “OPEN FRONTIER 2035,” at which Eijiro Yamakita, President and Chief Executive Officer, explained future initiatives.
The long-term vision, which will be announced for the first time, shows “where we want to be” in 2035, and the specifics of the business will be defined in the mid-term management plan (most recently from 2026 to 2028).
In 10-year units, the company will develop its business under the theme of “Exchange Creation Intelligence,” the ability to create various exchanges, including travel, by combining its “insight” into the essence of customers and markets, which it has cultivated over its 114 years in business, with its accumulated experience and know-how “expertise.
As for its business portfolio (in terms of business profit), the company will expand its global ratio from 14.0% in 2024 to 50.0% in 2035. One of the strategies is to acquire a stake in Northstar Travel Group, the largest B2B media company in the tourism industry, in August 2025.
By utilizing NTG’s up-to-date information on industry trends on a global scale, industry networks, and marketing solutions, the company plans to expand its digital products (media solutions, information provision services, etc.) through the use of AI and data.
As for overseas travel from Japan, the “Land Cruise” (Seat in Coach), a locally departing/arriving excursion bus tour that has been developed in Europe, will be rolled out worldwide. The tour is accompanied by a Japanese-speaking local tour guide and features popular sightseeing spots in Italy, France, Spain, and other countries, which can be freely combined. Departures are guaranteed from a minimum of one person for all segments, and passengers can leave their large luggage on the bus while sightseeing.
Mr. Yamakita appealed to the audience, saying, “Because we act on a group basis, reflecting individual needs, we can operate efficiently and inexpensively, and we can travel in depth.
Furthermore, in January 2026, the company will establish a joint venture with Asobi Systems called Asobi JTB. At the presentation, a monument of “MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center,” which was once installed in Harajuku, was unveiled.
The Chief Kawaii Officer (CKO) of Asobi JTB will be Sebastian Masuda, an artist. The company will fuse Japan’s pop culture “KAWAII” culture with local resources, redevelop the “KAWAII MONSTER CAFE” food and beverage business, which closed in 2021, and hold the “KAWAII Market (tentative name),” a local festival, as a traveling event The “KAWAII MONSTER CAFE” food and beverage business, which closed in 2021, will be redeveloped.
Tomoshige Saijo, General Manager of Japan Inbound Business, emphasized that “we are not a company that uses ‘KAWAII’ as a policy to attract customers.
He continued, “Even if you don’t understand the language, you can feel the emotion the moment you stand on the spot. We will work with local governments and companies to commercialize destinations that people will naturally want to share with others, saying they are glad they came,” he said enthusiastically.
© Source travel watch