2016.10.04
Tourist information center opens in DFS Galleria
JTB Okinawa opened Saturday “Tourist Information Center T Galleria Okinawa”, a tourist information center for foreign tourists on the second floor of the DFS Galleria Okinawa building in Omoromachi, Naha City.
JTB Okinawa decided to open the new facility because about 30% of foreign tourists visiting Okinawa also visit DFS Galleria. The new office is the 14th national tourist information center of the JTB group, and its opening reflects the current JTB company group policy of shifting the business target from group customers to individuals. JTB officials explain that the number of individual travelers is increasing, and their needs are quite different from group tours.
The information center provides information about accommodations and restaurants, sells admission tickets to Churaumi Aquarium and discount coupons to other tourist facilities. The office has staff from JTB who can speak Japanese and Chinese. The office is open from 9:00 to 17:00 throughout the year except during the New Year holidays. The office expects to serve about 1,000 visitors per month.
In the near future, JTB is planning to open more centers in Okinawa, and employ staff with other language skills in addition to Chinese.
JTB Centers outside Okinawa offer a variety of services, such as selling travel-related goods and local products, free Wi-Fi, transportation information, currency exchange, and luggage lockers.
Kenji Sugimoto, the president of JTB Okinawa, announced at the press conference in DFS Galleria on Sep. 30 that JTB would like to develop the center into a point of one stop service.