Some of the biggest global players in the vacation rental industry are forming a trade group in Japan to promote the benefits of alternative accommodations.
The Japan Association of Vacation Rental (JAVR) will launch in early 2019 with nine founding members including Airbnb, HomeAway and Booking.com.
The other members are Agoda International Japan, Ctrip International Travel Japan, Tujia Japan, Rakuten Lifull Stay, Hyakusenrenma, and Space Market.
Yasuhiro Kamiyama, CEO of Hyakusenrenma, and Natsuko Kimura, Japan country manager of HomeAway will serve as joint representative directors of the new association.
Amid stricter rules being passed in cities across Japan, the association will advocate for the development of vacation rentals and ‘improve cognition’ of the industry in domestic and international markets.
The alliance is supported by the Japan Tourism Agency.
Other country specific vacation rental industry groups have been established in the US and UK, but JAVR is one of the first with both international and domestic brands collaborating together with a common goal.
