General trading conglomerate Marubeni (TYO:8002) has acquired a stake in Okinawa Tourist Service (OTS) at an undisclosed price, making the travel agency and rental car operator a subsidiary.
Through this investment, Marubeni will make a full-scale entry into the tourism business and aim to build a platform in the sector, according to a statement on Tuesday.
Japan's inbound tourism is projected to grow at approximately 9.5% annually, with the government targeting 60 million visitors by 2030.
Okinawa, specifically, benefits from convenient access to a 2-billion-strength Asian market and set a record for tourist numbers in 2025, read the statement.
Leveraging OTS's network of 600 local partners and 200,000 annual inbound customers, Marubeni will apply its fleet management and digital transformation skill to drive revenue growth and pursue further acquisition.