Asia's largest self-guided tour booking platform, KKday, has successfully raised approximately $70 million (approximately 100 billion yen) in a new round of funding, marking its 10th anniversary. Investors in this round include Japan's Cool Japan Fund, Taiwan's National Development Fund, ZUU & De Capital Fund, Chang Hwa Venture Capital, and Deloitte Consulting, providing significant momentum for KKday's global growth strategy.
Since the reopening of borders worldwide in 2023, especially with the surge in inbound tourism demand to Japan, KKday achieved a record-high monthly Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in August 2024. By strictly controlling customer acquisition costs and partnering with Japan's largest accommodation booking platform Jalan and popular restaurant review and reservation platform Tabelog, KKday users can now book nearly 10,000 Japanese accommodations and over 42,000 restaurants on the same platform, allowing visitors to Japan to plan their accommodation, dining, and various experiences in one place, enjoying a smoother travel process.
This round of funding will be used to accelerate KKday's mergers and acquisitions in the Asia Pacific region, continue to attract top talent, and deepen the research and application of AI technology. KKday has established a dedicated AI team focused on search optimization, automated customer service, and content generation. In the future, the company will further develop more personalized itinerary recommendation models and real-time itinerary adjustment functions to meet the diverse needs of travelers and simplify the planning process.
Additionally, KKday's self-developed booking management system for travel operators, "rezio," has been adopted by over 5,000 operators worldwide, with over 30,000 products listed. In Japan, more than 1,000 tourism operators have introduced rezio, significantly improving the operational efficiency and visitor experience of world-class attractions such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Mount Fuji climbing systems. KKday also collaborates deeply with international platforms such as Viator, GetYourGuide, Traveloka, Agoda, and Google Things to Do, expanding its total product offerings to over 350,000 and serving customers in multiple languages to expand cross-border business opportunities.
Through these efforts, KKday will continue to drive the digital transformation of tourism centered in Asia, not only enhancing the value of travel experiences in Japan but also moving towards the goal of becoming a global leader in travel technology, enabling travelers worldwide to enjoy more freedom, convenience, and personalized travel experiences.
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