JTB Group

What It Is

JTB Group (Japan Tourist Bureau) is Japan's largest travel company, founded as a tourism bureau and grown into a global travel conglomerate. It operates as both a wholesale distributor and a direct-to-consumer travel agency, with a worldwide network spanning hundreds of offices across dozens of countries.

Who It Serves and How Properties Connect

JTB primarily serves leisure and corporate travellers from Japan and across Asia-Pacific, distributing accommodation inventory through its own booking platforms (including JAPANiCAN for online bookings), travel agency network, and B2B API connections. Properties can connect via JTB's OTA XML API, which follows standard schemas for hotels and ryokan. The group also maintains partnerships with major OTAs such as Agoda to extend distribution reach across digital channels.

Specialty and Reach

JTB's core strength lies in the Japanese outbound market and inbound tourism to Japan, with specialist knowledge of ryokan, traditional accommodation, and cultural travel experiences. Its Sunrise Tours brand and DMC arm (JTBGMT) serve travel agents and corporate clients globally. Hotels seeking exposure to the high-value Japanese traveller segment find JTB a key distribution partner.