With close to 18 million annual trips abroad, Japanese travelers represent a lucrative segment for tour and activity providers. One of the best ways to reach this market is becoming a VELTRA partner.
The number of outbound trips by Japanese travelers per year.
In this article, we’re going to look at what VELTRA is and how it can help you boost sales in Japan and East Asia. In addition, we’ll explore details around signing up and becoming an official VELTRA partner.
Ready? Let’s go.
What is VELTRA?
VELTRA is one of Asia’s top online travel agencies (OTA) where travelers can book tours and activities. Founded in 1991, it’s a company with nearly three decades of experience in the market. VELTRA’s mission is to help travelers encounter a “once in a lifetime experience” as its name suggests (if you rearrange the letters, you get “TRAVEL”).
VELTRA’s main office is in Tokyo and nearly 90% of its website visitors come from Japan. The company is largely focused on the local market so it’s a great partner if you want to sell to travelers from “The Land of the Rising Sun”.
The US and Germany also account for about 8% of monthly visits (SimilarWeb data, Update: March 2023).
While VELTRA serves mostly travelers from Japan, the platform is truly global. With local representation across 9 countries (including France, Italy, and the UK), many of the top destinations for VELTRA users are in Europe. This makes it a relevant channel for tour and activity operators from top European tourist destinations.
Paris, London, Barcelona, and Rome top the list.
The platform is available in 5 languages and allows payments in 3 currencies – EUR, USD, and JPY. With more than 13,000 activities across 113 countries, VELTRA is one of the largest global OTAs.
The marketplace serves a diverse audience of travelers when it comes to demographics. With more than 2 million monthly visitors, you can reach a similar amount of both male and female customers. Most VELTRA users are in their 30s but the representation is almost equal between millennials and people over the age of 40.
A breakdown of VELTRA customers (Source: VELTRA website).
Why become a VELTRA partner?
Great affiliate network
As the number of people traveling outside East Asia grows, so have the local airlines. Some of VELTRA’s notable affiliate partners include Japan Airlines and China Airlines (the largest carrier in Taiwan). This means you can reach a sizeable portion of travelers while they book flights in their own language.
In addition, Rakuten (a.k.a. “The Amazon of Japan”) is also a partner which shows that VELTRA is well placed among local corporations.
A stable company
Japan is notorious for its culture that puts quality and stability first. VELTRA has been around since 1991 and with nearly 300 employees it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere soon. Considering that most of the team has probably been there for a long time, they know the local market best making VELTRA a great long-term partner.
Translate your offers in East Asian languages
It’s often hard to find translators for languages like Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese. And if you do find them, it can be expensive. With VELTRA, your listings will be edited by native speakers for free so you can reach the local market in their own language.
How to sign up
It’s free to sign up as a VELTRA partner. To get started, you can review their partner page or fill out the inquiry form directly.
After the VELTRA team checks your details, a representative will contact you to finalize your sales contract, activity prices, and commission rate. While public information around fees is not available, you can expect a proposition anywhere in the range of 15% – 30% (based on competitor fees).
After you agree on the terms, it’s time to send your activity details so the listing can be set up. This includes photos, descriptions, and insurance documentation.
Conclusion
Selling tours and activities in Japan is both tough and rewarding. To make things easier, VELTRA is well-positioned in the local market as a global OTA. It’s a gateway for a diverse range of travelers to reach top destinations across Europe, Asia, and North America.
VELTRA boasts notable partnerships with the likes of Rakuten and Japan Airlines, which means it has a solid distribution network. Its solid history in the market also makes it a great partner for the long run. As an OTA that’s focused on the East Asian market, it offers the ability to reach locals in their own language, therefore boosting the likelihood that they’ll buy from you.
The sign-up process is quick and easy so you can make contact in minutes, getting you one step closer to reaching the growing segment of Japanese travelers.
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