In 2018, Veltra, a Japan-based
booking platform for activities around the globe, created a subsidiary to help
transportation, tour and attraction providers digitize their operations.
Known as Linktivity, the
subsidiary was working with five suppliers when the pandemic began in 2020.
Today that number has grown to more than 100.
Linktivity, now operating as an
independent company, bridges the gap between railways, bus companies, attractions
and activities with online travel agencies in Japan and around the world.
The company provides a
cloud-based solution for suppliers that enables e-ticketing using QR codes and
provides a single access point for connection to distribution channels such as
Ctrip, GetYourGuide, Klook, Viator, KKday, Tiqets, ANA Airways, Japan Airlines
and others.
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Suppliers can also manage
inventory and access sales and payment reports.
Linktivity CEO Seiryuu Kou says the company
has been able to rapidly grow its supplier base in the last two years as these
companies have recognized travelers are demanding more digital, contactless
ticketing.
“Since the pandemic hit, the inbound
market has shrunk, but the domestic need for travel has increased. And
suppliers would like to prepare themselves once the border has opened up again,
so they feel urged to step forward and make a change,” Kou says.
Regarding resellers, says Kou: “In the Japanese market, where language
barriers and a different way of doing business can present challenges to
overseas companies, Linktivity’s aggregated supply offers an attractive array
of high‐demand products with only a single contract and interface process.”
The connection to train and bus operators is particularly
critical in Japan, Kou says, since these forms of transportation are cheaper
and faster than rental cars or taxis. According to Linktivity, it costs $260
and takes more than one hour to travel from Narita Airport to downtown Tokyo by
taxi, but the journey is only $21 and 36 minutes by train.
Looking ahead, in addition to connecting with more suppliers
and resellers, Linktivity says it will create discounted product bundles, such
as a combination of a train and attraction ticket, and it wants to provide
mobility-as-a-service solutions to partners outside travel.
In December,
Linktivity announced an alliance with and $1.5 million investment from Japanese
telecommunications company NTT West.