Second year in a row following last year's Japan Tourism Agency Director's Award

Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2025 - JTB Global Marketing & Travel with its Sunrise Tours*¹ brand geared for international visitors, has been awarded the Special Jury Award in the Inbound Travel Division category in the Tour Grand Prix 2025 (Organizer: Tour Grand Prix 2025 Executive Committee).

The Tour Grand Prix aims to improve planning and marketing capabilities in the travel industry and contribute to measures to make Japan a "tourism-oriented nation." The awards are given to outstanding project proposals such as for domestic and overseas planned tours (agent-organized tours/tailor-made tours) and inbound tourism. JTBGMT, under the Sunrise Tours brand of domestic package tours for international visitors, has created tours that embody true diversity. At the winner announcement and award ceremony held on July 2, 2025, out of 147 entries, JTBGMT was presented with the Special Jury Award in the Inbound Travel Division category. This is the second consecutive year to receive an award in this category, following last year's Japan Tourism Agency Director’s Award.
 

 

Winning Project Details

■Award Category　Inbound Travel Division　Special Jury Award

Sunrise Tours has aspired to create tours that satisfy customers with diverse values and cultural backgrounds.

Plans with Indian thali*² lunch for the 1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour, 1-Day Kyoto Tour, and 1-Day Kyoto & Nara Tour

Sunrise Tours began offering a thali menu made by an Indian chef on the 1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour in July 2024, which has been very well received especially among customers from India seeking the flavors of an authentic thali meal on their trip to Japan.

https://www.jtbgmt.com/en/news/detail/90

In addition, for 2025, we have started offering plans with thali menu on tours in other regions such as Kyoto and Hokkaido, the number of tour participants of which has exceeded 1,000.

                                                              © Central Japan Railway Company                                 Thali Lunch on the 1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour

 

1. Project Background & Highlights

Recognizing the growing number of Indian visitors to Japan and their desire of savoring authentic curry made by an Indian chef at least once during their stay, Sunrise Tours has started to offer a thali menu that can be enjoyed by customers from India as well as from other countries.

Sunrise Tours' original thali menu was developed as a result of employees visiting the actual location in order to gain a deeper understanding of Indian food culture, as well as repeated trial productions in cooperation with Japan's popular Indian restaurants and JTB India, a group company. The final menu was actually offered on a tour, which was highly praised by the tour participants.

While vegetarian and Muslim-friendly meals have been offered in addition to the Japanese-style meal on the 1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour for some time, we have decided to promote this initiative because of our heartfelt desire to meet a wider range of customer needs and to help people enjoy their trip to Japan.

 

2. Future Outlook

We plan to expand the menu offering to other regions. Since May of this year, it has been offered on Nikko tours and multi-day tours from Tokyo, visiting Mt. Fuji and Kyoto. As India and the rest of the Global South are predicted to experience significant economic growth and an increase in the working-age population, this region is expected to have more visitors to Japan in the future. Starting with the thali menu, we aim to meet the true needs of customers with diverse values and cultural backgrounds, and plan to create tours to various areas in Japan that allow customers to fully enjoy their trip and savor delicious meals.

 

3. Judges' Comments

Sunrise Tours is highly commended for their new initiative to respond to the diverse food cultures of international visitors to Japan. Sunrise Tours began offering a traditional Indian thali menu on the 1-Day Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour from July 2024. Following the success of this initiative, Sunrise Tours is expanding the menu offering to its tours in Kyoto and Hokkaido. Employees traveled to India to learn more about the food culture and customs, and the thali menu completed under local supervision greatly improved the satisfaction of Indian customers and also contributed to increased sales. Following Japanese, vegetarian, and Muslim-friendly menus, the introduction of multicultural meal options enhances the quality of travel for international visitors to Japan. This approach showcases Sunrise Tours' sincere attitude in catering to diverse needs.

 

Message from Award Recipient

■ JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc. General Manager of Experience Supply Division Takahito Suzuki

We are delighted to receive this prestigious award. This project, which began from a bit of insight on how Indians want to enjoy Indian curry with peace of mind instead of Japanese food even during their stay in Japan, has become a tour that
has contributed to Indian market growth as well as a true embodiment of diversity. While respecting cultural differences, we will continue to accommodate the needs of each customer and work on planning and creating memorable tours for travelers.

 

◆SUNRISE TOURS Information

≫　Booking Website for customers　　　 ：　https://www.sunrise-tours.jp/en

≫　Tour Information for Travel Agents　  ：　https://www.jtbgmt.com/en/g-web/

 

 

*¹ “SUNRISE TOURS” is a registered trademark of JTB in Japan.

*² Thali means large plate, and also refers to a style of serving food in countries such as India and Nepal where several dishes are arranged together on a large platter.