It has become clear that TBS Television will be making a full-scale entry into the travel business targeting wealthy overseas customers. On July 1st, they launched a new brand called "Suika" that offers custom-made trips.
The aim is to apply the knowledge of the JNN network of 28 stations nationwide, which has deep ties to local communities and cultures all over Japan, and its content production expertise to the growing market of "inbound wealthy overseas tourists." The service was selected for 2023 in the "JNN Business Challenge," a new business contest held by the TBS Group and JNN stations, and a proof of concept experiment (PoC) lasting about a year confirmed the effectiveness of the service and high customer satisfaction, leading to the decision to fully commercialize the service. The brand name "Iki-Hika" comes from the concept of filling the "special leisure time" gained by getting away from everyday life with "iki," a traditional Japanese aesthetic sense.
The company will initially focus on Asia Pacific, France and the US, with plans to expand to other countries around the world, including the Middle East, within the next three years.
