Case Studies

A Special Trip From the Heart. JTB London's Tailor-made trip strengthen the bond between companies.

Client :Japanese manufacturing company which based in the UK

Industry :Manufacturing

Participants :approximately 130

Destination :Tokyo, Hakone, Nagoya, Kyoto

Period : Late March 2023

# Case Studies
# Group Travel
# Europe

A Special Trip From the Heart. JTB London's Tailor-made trip strengthen the bond between companies.

Summary

50th Anniversary tour to Japan to strengthen relationships with their business partners
Held during the COVID-19 pandemic with 70% of the group visiting Japan for the first time
A wide variety of activities and experiences to explore the charms of Japan
Received very positive feedback from all 130 participants

Objectives

The client, a Japanese manufacturer, expanded into overseas markets early on after its establishment, setting up a subsidiary in the UK in the 1970s, which sold the company's products through local distributors. As part of their 50th anniversary of establishing themselves in the UK, a tour to Japan was organized for clients themselves, their business partners, and their families.

JTB London had undertaken a similar tour to Japan as part of the client's 40th anniversary in the UK. Because of our high standard of Japanese hospitality and strong network in Japan, we were asked to provide our services again 10 years later. The client tasked us to create a tour for the group that would maximize their enjoyment of Japan and even inspire them to fall in love with it.

They also wanted the tour to foster a spirit of camaraderie among their business partners and their families. With 130 participants of various ages, the majority of whom had never visited Japan before, we had to propose the itinerary not only with major tourist destinations but also unique ideas to make a difference from the previous 40th anniversary tour.

Challenges

The most significant challenge was the timing of the tour, held in late March 2023 during the latter stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, COVID-19 was downgraded from a Category 2 infectious disease to a Category 5 under the Infectious Diseases Act. Although restrictions were gradually lifted, maximum attention had to be paid to infection controls. About 70% of the group were visiting Japan for the first time, requiring us to devise activities and ways to spend time in Japan that would help them feel at ease and showcase the charms of the country as much as possible.

Furthermore, with approximately 130 people, we needed to secure the flights for all participants and needed to arrange 3 different airlines during the peak (cherry blossom) seasons. Some participants had dietary requirements, such as no fish, personal preferences, or food allergies, which also had to be considered.

Key Points

・Creating a special Japan travel plan for a 50th-anniversary celebration

・Designing an attractive experience with consideration for first-timers to Japan

・Adhering to COVID-19 infection controls

・Arranging airline tickets for 130 people and other ground services in Japan

Solutions

Planning with health in mind

As part of the measures against COVID-19, the London staff accompanying the tour brought thermometers, test kits, and other essential items. If someone felt unwell, we set up a protocol that would seek immediate medical attention. For participants who complained of feeling unwell or tired, we were flexible in allowing for a change in activities, including taking a rest at the hotel.

Making fair travel arrangements

With 130 participants, the large size meant flights from London were divided into three groups. Since some were taking a connecting flight in Paris, France instead of direct flights to Tokyo, a sightseeing bus tour of the city was arranged during the 9-hour layover. This helped to make up for the longer travel time for those flying indirectly and increased their overall satisfaction.

Building relationships with guides through assigned buses

We organized buses for most of the transportation across Japan. Everyone was divided into four groups and assigned a bus where each group rode the same bus from the first to the last day of the tour. This included having the same guide for each bus throughout, helping to build a closer and more friendly relationship with them.

Choice of experiences tailored to personal preferences

Participants were given some activities and dining options to encourage the group to have a more enjoyable experience in Japan. In the final stop in Kyoto, besides sightseeing in the city, the group had the opportunity to visit nearby places such as Uzumasa, Osaka, Nara, and other nearby locations. Dining options such as teppanyaki and Japanese-style izakaya were offered at some points of the tour to allow participants to select the local food and traditional Japanese flavors they wanted to enjoy.

Attending to participants dietary needs

All participants provided information to us in advance of the tour regarding food allergies. We used this information to prepare cards in both English and Japanese for dining at hotels and restaurants, and coordinated to ensure there would be no issues with meals. Despite some constraints, we carefully negotiated with each place to ensure that the group could enjoy a pleasant dining experience in Japan.

Conlusion

This was JTB London's first experience with a tour group of this size to Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. We faced various hurdles in creating our itinerary, such as considering how to prevent infections and check the latest procedures at customs. However, with the cooperation of our JTB Europe sales team and JTB Japan's Division, we were able to create and finalize an itinerary to everyone’s satisfaction.The camaraderie that developed in the group made the experience enjoyable from start to finish. There were emotional goodbyes to the guides and others expressing their gratitude with promises to return to Japan. We felt we accomplished our mission. JTB London will continue to provide highly satisfying trips to Japan thanks to the extensive knowledge and experience a global travel business with offices worldwide provides and our high-quality Japanese hospitality.

Project Lead

Hiki Haruka

2016 - 2022; JTB Global Marketing & Travel, Tokyo, Japan
2022 - JTB London Branch, MICE Department, London, UK

＜Achievements＞

With extensive experience in inbound tourism promotion and incentive travel projects, she has successfully managed diverse initiatives including group tours, VIP experiences and high-profile events such as the Rugby World Cup 2019 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Currently working with JTB London Branch's MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) division, they specialise in handling incentive travel projects for Japanese companies based in Europe. Their expertise lies in the coordination of large-scale events, the seamless management of groups of over 100 participants and major sporting events.