Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) has concluded a collaboration agreement with the Japan Ryokan & Hotel Association*1 to create a new service called “Furusa-travel” for the hometown tax system (a program where individuals make donations to local governments throughout Japan which will then be deducted from their residence tax) that allows for payments to be made at the local travel destination. Under the agreement, the two organizations will also jointly consider and promote other new initiatives in the tourism field.

“Furusa-travel” website (in Japanese): https://furusa-travel.jp

“Furusa-travel” is a web portal that enables users to conveniently utilize the hometown tax system when paying accommodation fees at tourist facilities such as ryokans (traditional inns), hotels, and golf courses. Hometown tax payments have been concentrated on local governments with tangible, popular local specialties (often sent as thanks to individuals who make donations), but if the use of the system can be expanded to the tourism industry, more regions will be able to gain economic benefits.

In Japan, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to subside, the total number of Japanese domestic travelers in 2022 recovered to 417.85 million, an increase of 55.8% compared to the previous year (down 28.8% compared to 2019*2), and further recovery and expansion of the tourism industry is expected to continue. As the “Furusa-travel” service has already been introduced in various regions*3 and has been well received, Marubeni and the Japan Ryokan & Hotel Association plan to further expand the number of locations where it is implemented, as well as consider and promote new initiatives in the tourism field in Japan, thereby contributing to the revitalization of local and regional economies.

Marubeni established a Regional CEO For Japan Business in 2020 to strengthen business in the domestic Japanese market and is promoting various other initiatives such as decarbonization, DX, and next-generation mobility to solve social issues. Through this partnership agreement, Marubeni will work with businesses in each region to further revitalize the domestic tourism industry, which is expected to continue to grow.

*1 Japan Ryokan & Hotel Association Website (in Japanese): https://www.ryokan.or.jp/top/

*2 Travel and Tourism Consumption Trends Survey by the Japan Tourism Agency (in Japanese): https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001603714.pdf

*3 Available areas (as of 2023.10.12):
Hokkaido: Kushiro City, Noboribetsu City, Sobetsu Town, and Nanae Town
Kanagawa: Hakone Town, Ishikawa: Nomi City, Fukui: Awara City,
Osaka: Ikeda City, Hiroshima: Hatsukaichi City, Ehime: Matsuyama City, Oita: Yufu City