Message from President and CEO

JTB Global Marketing & Travel (JTBGMT) was founded in 1912 when we inherited the vision of the “Japan Tourist Bureau”, the beginning of the JTB group, to introduce Japan to people around the world through inbound travel and by encouraging more foreigners to visit Japan. Inheriting this DNA, we were spun off from JTB in 2005 as a company specializing in inbound travel to Japan, making us truly Japan's oldest and largest professional group specializing in this type of travel.

Specializing in inbound travel to Japan, we have been actively involved in sustainability and innovation for 112 years, aiming to achieve a sustainable environment, economy, and society. With the goals of “Energizing Japan” and “Connecting the World” through inbound travel to Japan, we would like to think that we have played a role in realizing a peaceful and prosperous society through exchange that seeks to revitalize the people, economy and local communities of Japan, and spread greater understanding of Japanese people, society, nature, culture, customs and history to people around the world.

We are also currently promoting “Well-being Management,” specifically, meaning “To be a company in which all its employees can enjoy health, happiness, and growth,” and “To be a warm, innovative, and beloved group where each and every employee is full of enthusiasm and vitality,” with the aim of being indispensable to and loved by our employees, families, customers, business partners, and society alike.

In this context, JTBGMT, as a leading DMC (Destination Management Company) in Japan, continues to provide the best solutions for international exchange in all areas of group travel, series tours, MICE (international meetings, corporate incentives, international events, international sports), cruises, educational travel, high value-added luxury tours, and more.

Up until last year, we were also heavily involved in accommodation, hospitality, and transportation services for the G7 Summit, 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, and 2019 Rugby World Cup.

In addition, we provide accommodation packages and Sunrise Tours that meet the needs of independent travelers in the midst of the growing FIT (foreign independent traveler) trend to overseas customers via travel agencies throughout the world. Thanks to your support, the Sunrise Tours will celebrate its 60th anniversary in March 2024. This is the oldest package tour offered by the JTB Group. In addition, we have been developing inbound routes for the Sunrise Tours in each area from 2022 with the aim of creating a flow of visitors to regional areas, and have completed core tour routes in five regions throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. We would like to thank our overseas customers and all travel agencies for their help in achieving this.

In accordance with the government's policy of “sustainable tourism,” we aim to provide national and local governments and corporations with solutions that connect Japan with the rest of the world, and to create international exchange through collaboration and co-creation at the 2025 Japan International Expo (Osaka, Kansai Expo), which will be held under the theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”

We will continue to refine the “GMT Quality” that we have built up over the past 112 years in “Service” and “Experience Value”, hand-in-hand with each and every one of our guests and for each and every one of our tours and events, and continue to strive to create “priceless moments”.

Based on the principles of “Connecting and Linking” and “Thinking and Journeying Together,” JTBGMT has been promoting an understanding of countries, ethnic groups, religions, cultures and customs around the world and matching products and services that meet their needs with the nature, food, culture, history and other aspects of Japan. By deepening communication and pooling wisdom and knowledge cultivated with our worldwide customers, business partners, and local communities over our 112 years of history, we will work together to steer the “wheel” of global exchange promotion towards “energizing Japan and connecting the world” in a sustainable, steady, and dynamic manner for the next 100 years.

We sincerely look forward to welcoming you to Japan from all over the world.

President & CEO
JTB Global Marketing & Travel
Tsuneo “Tony” Ishida