On February 20, Expedia held a press conference at the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo in Yaesu. Expedia, a comprehensive travel brand operating in more than 70 countries around the world, marked the 18th anniversary of its launch in Japan, and Peter Kahn, Expedia Group Vice Chairman and CEO, and John Gieselman, Expedia Brand Manager, visited Japan to discuss trends in the Japanese travel industry and future market prospects. Peter Kahn, Expedia Group Vice President and CEO, and John Gieselman, Head of Brand, visited Japan to discuss trends in the travel industry in Japan and future market prospects.
Together with Ms. Natsuko Kimura, Representative Director of Expedia Holdings and General Director of Expedia Group Retail Japan, he explained the brand renewal and new marketing campaign that has been launched since the beginning of the year.
First, the Japanese travel industry is seen as having recovered quickly and earlier than expected after the relaxation of waterfront measures in 2022, with data on inbound visitors to Japan showing that tourists from East Asia accounted for 62% of the total.
The largest number of non-Asian tourists came from the U.S. In 2023, about half (48%) of U.S. tourists visited Japan via the Expedia Group. In addition, today’s travelers tend to seek a “deeper understanding of Japan” rather than “touring tourist attractions” in Japan.
Cherry blossoms are especially attractive to American travelers who will be traveling in the spring season, and the number of searches for “Tokyo” on Expedia has increased nearly 55% year-on-year for two consecutive years. He said that in the future, Expedia will focus on attracting visitors to Kyoto, Asakusa and other sightseeing spots, as well as other parts of Japan that are not yet well known, in order to provide valuable Japan experiences as an online travel agency.
On the other hand, Japanese travelers are highly influenced by “media” as seen in the “Unpack’24” travel trends for the year 2024. While the global average for media used to research destinations is TV, streaming services, and social networking, 49% of Japanese respondents said they use TV and 38% said they use books. In Japan, 94% of respondents said they have never used AI for travel planning, while 37% said they are interested in using AI. The survey predicts that AI-based travel and planning styles will grow in Japan in the future.
In light of this, Expedia has significantly refreshed its brand and launched a new campaign on January 15. To make Expedia a brand that fits Japan, the global brand message “Made to Travel” has been updated to “Step out Everyday”. This was specially conceived for the Japanese market to connect with post-Corona travelers and express people’s fundamental desire to travel.
Currently, the company is already running ads in TV, radio, digital, social, and OOH (outdoor advertising) media to remind people why they travel, how travel enriches their lives, and how “travel with a purpose” is important to them. The company also announced a global advertising partnership with Netflix to launch its first multi-market campaign throughout the year 2024.
Since its launch in 2006, Expedia has created unique experiences for Japanese travelers and established a brand identity that fits in well with Japan. The goal of this campaign is to identify the barriers faced when planning a trip, understand the mindset of the modern traveler, and create a platform that is suitable for purposeful travel. The goal of this campaign is to identify the barriers faced when planning a trip, understand the mindset of the modern traveler, and build a platform that is suitable for purposeful travel.
The first is the Dynamic Travel Guide, which helps travelers gather ideas and make their trip a reality by suggesting the best times of year, nearby destinations, and activities in each city. The third is the “Price Tracker,” which provides push notifications to keep travelers informed of changes in airline ticket prices so they can make reservations when they think it is appropriate. Smart Shopping (Accommodation Comparison Tool),” which simplifies the hotel selection process for travelers by comparing options at a glance.
Both features are available on the Expedia and Hotels.com mobile apps.
In addition to this, Expedia Group will enhance its customer support capabilities for the Japanese market with the introduction of 24/7 telephone voice support in Japanese and 24/7 chat support on official X starting this quarter.
John Gieselman touted the rebrand in the Japanese market, saying, “Our goal is to build a platform to support purposeful travel, and to understand and empathize with the modern traveler’s mindset.
© Source travel watch
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