“The tours and activities sector is having a breakout moment.” That’s how Yuki Hayashi, CTO of VELTRA, opened panel on “Tours & Activities On A Rising Tide” at WiT Japan & North Asia 2025. And judging by the numbers and ideas flying across the stage, he’s not exaggerating.
Tours and activities, long seen as the last, fragmented leg of the travel journey, are finally catching the wave, propelled by the inbound tourism boom in Japan, digitisation, changing traveller behaviour, and a convergence of global-local partnerships.
Triple-digit growth, one booking at a time
“We’re still growing like crazy,” said Chris Lee, Head of Strategic Partnerships APAC at GetYourGuide, pointing to double-digit year-on-year growth in Asia Pacific. “Cross-border activity is rising. We’ve seen especially strong traction in Korea and Southeast Asia.”
For TableCheck, Japan’s F&B tech player, the momentum is equally powerful. “Our revenue is growing 40–50% year-on-year,” said CEO Yu Taniguchi. “And restaurant reservations by inbound travellers have tripled compared to last year.”
What’s driving it? Japan’s culinary appeal, the rise of solo travellers, and a new digital fluency among restaurants.
“Before COVID, few restaurants accepted online reservations. Now, it’s doubled,” Taniguchi added. “Among our clients, 60% of bookings are now made online.”
VELTRA’s Hayashi offered a different lens, one driven by data science and experience design. “It’s not just about converting traffic, it’s about expanding the market,” he said. “New categories like cruises, where online booking penetration is less than 1%, represent huge potential.”
VELTRA recently launched its cruise booking platform, Veltra Cruise, aimed at making cruise travel more accessible to the Asian market, particularly in Japan.
The rise of experiential dining and immersive travel
If one theme dominated the discussion, it was ‘experience enhancement’.
Chris Lee noted how GetYourGuide’s users no longer just “see sights”, they now seek stories. “People want to travel like locals,” he said. “What used to be niche, like booking a Vatican tour with a Korean-speaking guide, is now mainstream, even for multigenerational families.”
Yu Taniguchi added a tasty twist: “Diners don’t just want a meal anymore. They want a narrative. Think barhopping, ramen tours, even soba-making classes where you cut your own noodles. It deepens respect, raises the perceived value and yes, the average spend.”
VELTRA’s Hayashi agreed: “It’s about going beyond product discovery – AI will help users understand not just the what, where, and how, but the why.”
From left: Kei Shibata (Moderator) Co-founder & CEO, Venture Republic – TRAVEL.jp & Trip101 Co-founder, WiT Japan & North Asia | Chris Lee Head of Strategic Partnership APAC GetYourGuide | Yu Taniguchi CEO TableCheck | Yuki Hayashi CTO VELTRA Corporation
Frenemies and the power of partnerships
In a sector where fragmentation remains a challenge, panelists were united on one thing: partnerships are the future.
Chris Lee shared how GetYourGuide is focusing on cross-border partnerships and “friend-enemy” (frenemy) alliances to scale in Asia. “Like Booking.com and Agoda 15 years ago, we need to build ecosystems before the tide rises.”
VELTRA, despite being a major Japanese OTA, doesn’t fear global players – it collaborates with them through its distribution platform, powering even competitors. “We’re not trying to beat them. We’re trying to partner with them,” said Hayashi.
TableCheck, with its powerful backend for hard-to-book restaurants, sees opportunity in offering VIP access for OTAs. “We cover 60–70% of Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan,” Yu noted. “Imagine using that as a perk for OTA loyalty members.”
AI’s role: invisible, but indispensable
In a lighthearted wrap-up, the panelists each shared visions of an AI-powered future for the tours and activities space.
- Chris Lee envisioned wearable AI devices guiding tourists with real-time translation and curated experiences.
- Yu Taniguchi imagined an AI companion that informs restaurant chefs of your taste preferences, from “mayo in miso soup” to spice-level tweaks.
- Yuki Hayashi reminded the audience that while AI can answer what, where, and how, the “why” still belongs to humans. “If we lose our sense of purpose, the tech won’t matter,” he warned.
Hayashi also shared that Veltra Cruise was built, powered by AI-generated content. “With just three engineers, we built it in three months – AI helped us generate thousands of itineraries automatically.”
The most underrated opportunity?
Each speaker was asked to name the biggest underappreciated growth area in tours and activities:
- Yu Taniguchi: “Culinary experiences that involve participation. Making soba made me appreciate chefs more – and made me spend more.”
- Chris Lee: “Group travel. Especially out of Korea – it’s still a big volume market.”
- Yuki Hayashi: “Niche categories like cruises or rural last-mile mobility. They’re still untapped.”
