Japan remains one of the most desirable long-haul destinations for German travelers, but standing out in an increasingly crowded media landscape has become more challenging. JNTO tasked us with generating continuous media interest while deliberately excluding some of Japan’s most common attractions, including Tokyo, Kyoto and the cherry blossom season. The aim was to encourage travel to Japan during other times of the year and to lesser-known regions, helping to spread tourism more evenly across the country.

Given that JNTO only provides partial support for press trips, it also required us to identify journalists who were already considering travel to Japan. At the same time, securing editorial coverage required identifying fresh stories that could compete with the strong media appeal of Japan’s most iconic attractions and seasonal highlights.

To address these challenges, we focused on proactive relationship-building with German travel media and continuously positioned JNTO as a trusted source for story ideas and destination expertise. Alongside ongoing media outreach, we utilized key industry events such as ITB Berlin to strengthen relationships with journalists and increase awareness of Japan’s diverse tourism offerings.

To maximize press trip opportunities despite limited budgets, we leveraged synergies across our wider network, including airline and tour operator partnerships, enabling us to support high-quality media visits to Japan

We also evolved the traditional press release format by introducing a diversified content strategy. In addition to classic news-driven press releases covering topics such as tourism trends and the opening of JUNGLIA Okinawa, we developed audio press releases featuring unique insights and personal travel tips. We also created video press releases highlighting Japan as a winter sports destination and showcasing unique accommodation experiences. This multi-format approach allowed us to reach journalists through channels that matched changing media consumption habits.