Thomas Cook China, the joint venture between Thomas Cook Group and Fosun Tourism Group (FOLIDAY), has signed an agreement with Hanatour Japan, a leading inbound travel agency in Japan and part of the Hanatour Group, to establish a Destination Management Company.
The new joint venture company will initially focus on inbound tourism business from China, combining Thomas Cook China’s technology and distribution channels in the Chinese market with Hanatour’s local resources and experience to develop new products and services for the growing number of Chinese independent travellers.
Japan is the fastest growing tourist destination for Chinese travellers and is already one of the largest destinations of Thomas Cook China’s outbound business. In 2018 over 8 million Chinese travellers visited Japan, an increase of 12% over the previous year.
This partnership is part of Thomas Cook China’s strategy to develop high-quality products and build its presence in key destinations for Chinese tourists.
Alessandro Dassi, CEO of Thomas Cook China, said: “Our new partnership with Hanatour Japan will give Thomas Cook China greater access and better control of the hotels and services we offer in Japan, allowing us to accelerate growth into this key market for Chinese travellers.”
Byung-Chan Lee, President and CEO of Hanatour Japan said: “We believe that inbound tourism from China will continue to grow over the next 5-10 years. Our new joint venture with Thomas Cook China gives us an opportunity to better leverage our existing resources to gain a share in this market”.
