Jun. 02, 2026Marubeni Corporation
Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) has acquired a stake in Okinawa Tourist Service Inc. (hereinafter, “OTS”), a travel agency and rental car operator headquartered in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, thereby making OTS a subsidiary of Marubeni (hereinafter, the “Investment”). Through this Investment, Marubeni will make a full‑scale entry into the tourism business and aim to build a business platform in the tourism sector.
Under its Mid‑Term Management Strategy (GC2027), Marubeni is making strategic investments in business areas expected to grow significantly over the long term, viewing these as “forward-looking investments in future pillars.” As part of this initiative, Marubeni has decided to enter Japan's tourism sector, which is expected to expand steadily in the future. In particular, the inbound tourism sector—a core strength of OTS—is a promising field projected to grow at an average annual rate of approx. 9.5%.
Japan ranked third overall in the “Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024*” announced by the World Economic Forum, with particularly highly rated cultural resources. In addition, under the New Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan, the Government of Japan has set a target of increasing the annual number of inbound visitors to 60 million by 2030, approximately double the 2023 figure, and robust inbound demand is expected to continue. At the same time, domestic demand for tourism—including individual travel and corporate travel such as MICE**—remains solid, supporting expectations of strong growth in Japan’s tourism industry going forward.
Okinawa Prefecture, in particular, is one of the world’s leading resort destinations, benefitting from its geographical advantage of convenient access to a massive Asian market of 2 billion people within a four‑hour flight, as well as its abundance of tourism resources, including World Cultural Heritage and World Natural Heritage sites. Over the past ten years, tourism revenue in Okinawa has increased by approximately 50%, and the number of tourists reached a record high in 2025***. Inbound visitors to Okinawa in 2025 increased by more than 23% year-on-year, and the prefecture’s tourism industry is expected to continue expanding.
Since its establishment in 1958, OTS has played a pioneering role in Okinawa’s tourism industry through the expansion of its travel agency operations and its participation in the prefecture’s first rental car business. As the tourism industry undergoes structural changes—such as the shift from conventional sightseeing and simple consumption of goods to a more immersive, experience‑driven travel—it is becoming increasingly important to have a strong business foundation in “destination‑oriented tourism****,” which involves deep engagement with local communities and offers unique, locally-sourced value. Leveraging its long‑standing network with approximately 600 local tourism‑related companies in Okinawa and its access to around 200,000 inbound customers annually, OTS offers comprehensive tourism services tailored to customer needs. These services include highly convenient tours that combine dining, transportation, and accommodation, as well as guided tour packages that target a broad range of customers. Going forward, together with the founding family of OTS, Marubeni will work to further develop this business by building on the strengths and expertise that OTS has cultivated to date.
Through this Investment, Marubeni will draw on its expertise in fleet management and digital transformation (DX), as well as its management capabilities and Group network, to optimize the procurement and resale of rental vehicles, enhance operational efficiency, and support customer development, aiming to drive OTS's short- and medium-term revenue growth. At the same time, as a part of its long-term strategy, Marubeni aims to build a business platform in the tourism sector through roll-up acquisitions of tourism-related companies expected to have synergies with OTS's business base.
*Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024: An index that evaluates the sustainable and resilient development potential of the travel and tourism industry.**The acronym for Meeting, Incentive Travel, Convention, Exhibition; refers to corporate and organizational events such as conferences, incentive trips, international conventions, and exhibitions.***Source: “Overview of Visitor Arrivals” (Okinawa Prefecture).****A form of tourism in which the destination region takes the lead in planning and selling experiential and exchange‑based programs. Unlike “origin‑oriented tourism,” which is mainly driven by major travel agencies, destination‑oriented tourism features highly distinctive tours and experiences unique to the area and aims to promote regional revitalization and increase traveler satisfaction.
