Tokyo, November 14, 2019 - Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc., a Rakuten Group company providing vacation rental services, and HomeAway today announced that the two companies will begin implementing measures to bolster inbound tourism based on business collaboration in the vacation rental industry.
In this collaboration, domestic property listings on vacation rental and accommodation booking site “Vacation STAY,” operated by Rakuten LIFULL STAY, will be provided to HomeAway, allowing travelers to book vacation rental properties in Japan through the HomeAway website.
In addition, HomeAway will conduct marketing activities aimed at potential inbound visitors to Japan to expand demand for inbound tourism. By collaborating on listings, traveler acquisition and sales, Rakuten LIFULL STAY and HomeAway aim to provide an appealing range of services for both property owners and visitors to Japan.
In recent years, the Japanese government has been supporting various policies aimed at promoting Japan as a tourist destination, and inbound demand is on the rise. As the needs for a diverse range of accommodation options increase, Rakuten LIFULL STAY and HomeAway aim to expand the range of options for overseas visitors, raise awareness of Japan’s tourist spots beyond the major cities, and increase the number of visitors to these areas through vacation rental services. By leveraging their respective networks to provide vacation rental services that meet diverse accommodation needs, Rakuten LIFULL STAY and HomeAway will contribute to the further expansion of inbound tourism and promotion of Japan as a tourist destination.
Natsuko Kimura, HomeAway Japan country manager said, “I am very pleased to be able to offer various types of attractive vacation rental properties in Japan to travelers around the world as a partner of Rakuten LIFULL STAY. HomeAway focuses on global family and group travel, and is working to increase the number of whole-property vacation rentals where travelers can enjoy spacious and private accommodation. This collaboration has further increased the number of whole-property vacation rentals available, which we believe will allow Rakuten LIFULL STAY to acquire a new customer base. Moreover, we will utilize this as an opportunity to work with global sales bases and aim to further accelerate inbound tourism to Japan.''
Munekatsu Ota, Representative Director of Rakuten LIFULL STAY said, “We are delighted to be able to offer a greater number of Japanese domestic vacation rental properties to travelers from around the world through our collaboration with HomeAway. As the number of tourists visiting Japan grows, we look forward to being able to offer properties to a wide variety of customers, including families and visitors travelling together. By offering a wide range of accommodation centered on vacation rental properties for visitors from around the world and creating accommodation facilities where guests can enjoy new travel experiences, we aim to further expand demand for inbound tourism to Japan."
About Rakuten LIFULL STAY
Location: 3-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representative: Munekatsu Ota
Business overview: Platform business related to vacation rentals
Established: March 2017
Japanese website: https://rakuten-lifull-stay.co.jp/
About HomeAway
HomeAway is a vacation rental company based in Austin, Texas. It operates and provides platforms where the travelers can choose from more than 2 million various and unique places to stay. The services are focusing on “whole-property rentals,” in order to help the travelers spend comfortable and private time with their friends and families and have the greatest memories.
Japanese website: https://www.homeaway.jp/
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