Tokyo, October 10, 2018 – Rakuten, Inc. today announced that it has signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with Toyooka City of Hyogo Prefecture with the aim of creating demand for inbound tourism and revitalizing the local economy.
Based on this agreement, Rakuten will work together with Voyagin, inc., a Rakuten Group company offering an activity reservation service for tours, tickets and restaurants, and Toyooka Tourism Innovation (TTI), Toyooka City’s DMO*1 to offer appealing, experience-based programs in Toyooka City to tourists visiting Japan to extend the length of their stays in the city and produce success cases in inbound tourism. In addition, by offering advice on the formulation of the vision around Toyooka City tourism and personnel exchanges, Rakuten will deepen cooperation in the tourism sector with Toyooka City. Rakuten is also working to revitalize the economy of Toyooka City through initiatives such as promoting the use of cashless payments among businesses in the city, promoting the “furusato nozei” hometown tax scheme, promoting the use of IT, and expanding sales channels for local specialty products.
The main items in the comprehensive partnership agreement
- Experience-based activities for foreign tourists
- Promoting measures to attract both domestic and overseas tourists
- Promoting personnel exchanges
- Promoting the use of cashless payments among businesses within the city
- Promoting the “furusato nozei” hometown tax scheme
- Promoting the use of IT among businesses within the city
- Expanding domestic and overseas sales channels for specialty products
- Economic revitalization within the city and improving convenience for its residents and others
Toyooka City is promoting city development with the aim of realizing its vision of becoming a “Local & Global City” that, despite its small population, is respected and esteemed by people from around the world for its local culture and heritage. The city is collaborating with TTI to promote projects with the aim of achieving its goal of having a total of 100,000 foreign guests stay in the city by 2020.
Rakuten supports local governments throughout Japan as part of its mission of contributing to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship. Through the conclusion of this agreement, Rakuten will provide its diverse range of services to contribute to the further development of Toyooka City’s economy and community.
*1 Destination Management Organization (DMO): A corporation whose goal is to achieve regional development via tourism.