Retail brand Muji has branched out into hospitality with its first ever Muji Hotel in Shenzhen, China. The Japanese retailer is best-known for its minimalist homeware products, and the hotel’s overall concept and room design is intended to broadcast Muji’s ‘anti-gorgeous, anti-cheap’ philosophy, as the brand itself describes it.

The hotel is expected to offer a truly immersive experience with its 79 bedrooms, a minimal diner serving up locally sourced meals, a gym, and a 24-hour library. The hotel is outfitted with the brand’s own furnishings, and reflects Muji’s simple, straightforward, and high-quality aesthetic. Natural materials like wood and stone, earthy tones and textures alongside a succinct atmosphere align with Muji’s design philosophy for a ‘pleasant, mindful life’.

The hotel also houses a large Muji shop, which covers 1,726 square meters, making it the third-biggest Muji store in China. Also, on site is a Muji Diner and a space to utilise for events.

The hotel started taking bookings from January 10 this year and had more than 500 rooms booked before its official opening. A one-night stay at Muji Hotel Shenzhen is priced from 950 yuan (INR 9,712). A second Muji Hotel is due to open in Beijing in autumn, with a third one expected to open its doors in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district in autumn 2019.

Brands wading into hospitality isn’t a new phenomenon. Over the past year, there has been an influx of retailers opening hotels to transform into full-fledged lifestyle brands. Fashion companies including Bulgari, Armani and Camper have all launched hotels in previous years, and now companies in the home-goods space are also following suit. With the rise of experiential retail, a large number of traditional brands are now turning to hospitality to move beyond simply selling products, and identify new ways to immerse consumers.

The post Retail brand MUJI’s first-ever hotel opens its doors for China appeared first on TravHQ.

ITB Asia has inked a milestone partnership with the Japan National Tourism Organisation of Singapore. The memorandum of cooperation with Asia’s leading travel trade show looks to propel Japan up the international business and events destination chart.

“Japan is a prime MICE destination in the region. It’s a perfect combination of first-class infrastructure, range of unique destinations, excellent hospitality, world-class food, heightened safety and cleanliness which draws international appeal. It gives us great pleasure to be in partnership with the Japan National Tourism Organisation of Singapore. ITB Asia will be the go-to platform that connects visitors and buyers, in effort to further drive Japan forward,” said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia.

“Tourism is a vital part of Japan’s growth strategy and our partnership with ITB Asia to attract international MICE travellers is one of the many efforts that further open our doors in achieving the government’s growth trajectory target of 40 million by 2020[1]. Our myriad of destinations – from pristine sun-kissed beaches at Okinawa to snow-capped mountains of Hokkaido, make us an exceptional and attractive MICE destination to international businesses,” said Susan Ong, Deputy Director, Japan Convention Bureau/Japan National Tourism Organisation of Singapore.

According to the 2015 statistics report by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Japan hosted 355 international meetings ranking top in Asia and 7th in the World.  Japan will play host to the 2019 World Rugby Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Japan National Tourism Organisation of Singapore will have a booth at ITB Asia this year and will be providing delegates the latest information on Japan’s attractions, convention cities and other activities.

Last year, ITB Asia attracted close to 760 exhibitors from 73 countries, as well as 880 buyers and more than 10,300 attendees over three days. For more information on ITB Asia 2016, visit www.itb-asia.com

About ITB Asia 2016

ITB Asia 2016 will take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, from 19 – 21 October. It is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The event will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities and travel technology companies are all expected to attend. www.itb-asia.com.

About Japan National Tourism Organisation of Singapore

The Japan National Tourism Organization Singapore office was established in May 2006 and as of April 2016, JNTO Singapore has been officially appointed by the Japan Convention Bureau to offer support services to Associations, Meetings and Incentive planners from Asia Pacific.

With increased interest from the Asia-Pacific region, MICE planners can look forward to exciting opportunities and services that are available at the Japan Convention Bureau/ JNTO Singapore Office

• Facilitate bids for regional and international conventions, association meetings, incentives and corporate meetings.
• Assist with site inspections, DMC recommendations, RFPs etc.
• Link up Local convention bureaus for onsite event support programs such as cultural performances, city tours welcome arrival greetings
• For corporate meeting planners, we can assist with venue recommendations/availability, sourcing local suppliers, pre- and post-meeting tour ideas and more. Visit www.japanmeetings.org

The post ITB Asia announces landmark partnership with Japan National Tourism Organisation appeared first on TravHQ.

Countries across the world are bracing their economies for enthusiastic tourists & adventurers and Japan is not falling behind in the race. According to a source, Japan had 13 million tourists visiting the country last year, marginally more than Singapore. The ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ is home to 26 World Heritage Sites with popular destinations like Tokyo, Nara, Mount Fuji etc. Observing the potential growth of Travel & Tourism industry in Japan, many new travel startups have come into existence of late.

Japan, as a tourist destination, has a lot to offer you!

At TravHQ, we have compiled a list of some of the newest and coolest travel startups of Japan that are making a mark in the Travel & Tourism industry. If you are an avid traveller, these startups might just prove useful to you when you head to Japan next. Keep reading

#1 Odigo

Cofounded by Takamasa Kawasaki and Julien Bourdon, Odigo is a trip-planning startup launched in February, 2015. Headquartered in Tokyo, we had a chance to catchup with them at the RISE summit in HK. If you plan to explore Japan and you are relatively new to the country, Odigo can be a reliable source. It has a group of knowledgeable locals who will guide you as to what, when and how to visit your planned tourist destinations. You can create personalized trips and itineraries with complete insights and important information about the places you expect to visit. If you like what Odigo offers and plan to travel to Japan soon, do check out its website here to avail the best fares.

Language: JP/EN

#2 Tadaku

Launched in October 2014, Tadaku was founded by Tao Romera Martinez and Trent McBride. It offers cooking sessions at local’s homes. Through its website you can visit households, cook food with the owners and enjoy the taste of local cuisines at the comfort of a home. The founders believe that this collective activity will help create a warmer atmosphere and bring people together socially. To involve yourself in this part of the travel experience, visit their website.

Language: EN/JP

#3 Trippiece

Trippiece, founded by Ian Ishida, started as a Japanese website in 2011. It’s a social platform for tourists who plan to travel to Japan with like-minded people. If you’re a travel junkie, you can form groups on the website and head to your favourite destinations with only those people make you feel at ease. This is what makes Trippiece extraordinary! Till May last year it had more than 110,000 registered users and 20,000 monthly active users on the platform. About its funding, according to the report, it obtained US$2 million investment from Draper Nexus Venture Partners and other investors sometime back.

Language: JP

#4 AirTalk

According to the TravHQ report earlier, AirTalk, a Tokyo based app, lets you connect with strangers who are near you! What sets it apart from other apps is that it does not require mobile internet for sending messages. The stranger just needs to be 100 metres away from your location. That’s it! Would you like to give it a shot?

Language: EN/JP

#5 Asoview

Founded by Tomohisa Yamano, Asoview, a leisure booking website, was incorporated in 2011.It offers you multiple activities like skydiving, rafting and other weekend leisure activities through it. Over the years, the firm has raised funds from multiple organizations. It has associated itself with a Japanese travel agent company ‘JTB Group’ and obtained $5 million with this partnership. It has even partnered with Yahoo Travel. If you are an adventure freak, do book some awesome activities from the website here.

Language: JP

#6 Locaruu

Locaruu, founded by Yuna Kim last year, is an online platform where travellers can meet with the natives and indulge in exciting hobby-related activities like drawing, climbing, cooking, playing guitar, yoga, sewing etc. The ‘local stars’ can be professionals or otherwise. The biggest advantage of involving yourself in such activity is that you get to mingle with the residents, learn about their culture & lifestyle while nearly mastering a skill.

Language: EN

#7 Lifull TraveRing

Headquartered in Tokyo, the startup was founded by Yuko Akiyama in 2014. It’s a service that provides travellers with innumerable programs and events, thereby helping them to mix with the locals of Japan and get a sense of their culture. The website clearly mentions that the assigned local hosts are strictly verified by their team for the safety of travellers.  Through this platform, the startup intends to leave the travelers amazed with their hospitable services.

Language: EN/JP

#8 Relux Hotels – Members Only

A hotel reservation startup founded by Takaya Shinozuka, Relux started its website in 2013. To book a hotel through it, you will have to become a member of the brand. The online platform lists traditional Japanese Inns and world-class hotels that are known for its architectural designs and comfort. Since most of the hotels and inns are top-rated by nature, they are priced accordingly. If you think you can’t afford them, don’t worry. It has a list of a few hotels that will fall well within your budget. Do visit its website if you want to make your Japan travel truly authentic.

Language: EN/JP

#9 JapanTravel.com

Established in November 2013 by Terrie Lloyd, JapanTravel.com is the fastest growing and the largest tourist guide for Japan. It offers its users tourism information, tourism resources, maps and relevant tools to make your travel a perfect one. With the help of this website, you can choose to book tours, hotels, rental cars and long-term stay lodges. You can explore Activities. Transport, Accomodation, Food & Drink etc. The list goes on! Just visit the website as it might be the best resource available online for your Japan travel.

Language: English, Japanese, French, Portuguese etc.

#10 Voyagin

Voyagin, a travel startup headquartered in Tokyo, assists you to discover and experience Japan & other Asiatic countries in absolute traditional and authentic ways. Its website not only lists tours, activities and restaurants but also has a section of community reviews to help you decide the best places for your travel. You can create your own itirnerary through it. According to a report, Rakuten, Japan’s largest e-commerce site, acquired this company in this July.

For your next travel, we advise you to try out the services of these startups. Who knows your travel might turn out to special and memorable!

The post Travel Sprint: Our Pick of Japan’s 10 Coolest Travel Startups appeared first on TravHQ.