Japan Convention Bureau

What Japan Convention Bureau does

Japan Convention Bureau (JNTO) is the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) promotion division of the Japan National Tourism Organization, a statutory Japanese government body headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo with approximately 44 employees. The organization promotes Japan as an international destination for association conferences and corporate incentive travel, providing free advisory consultation, bid support, venue and city search tools, supplier directories, and coordination with local convention bureaus across 50+ Japanese cities.

JNTO's core technology platform is the japanmeetings.org website, which includes the Japan Virtual Visit tool for remote venue exploration, alongside searchable City, Venue, and Supplier databases covering all of Japan's regions. The organization also produces downloadable guides, promotional videos, and case studies, and operates an online Request for Proposal and inquiry system routed to its overseas offices in New York, London, Seoul, and Singapore.

JNTO is funded through Japanese government budget allocation rather than commercial sales — it does not charge fees for its destination marketing, advisory, or support services. It generates no commercial revenue, holds no patents or proprietary AI/ML assets, and operates as a non-commercial government entity. Distribution is direct to enterprise buyers (international associations, professional conference organizers, corporate incentive planners) via overseas offices, four major international MICE trade shows (IBTM World, IBTM Americas, IMEX Frankfurt, AIME), and a multi-language digital presence.

Name

Japan Convention Bureau

Legal name

Japan National Tourism Organization

Website

https://japanmeetings.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Japan Convention Bureau (JNTO) is a Japanese government-funded division of the Japan National Tourism Organization that promotes Japan as a MICE destination to international associations and corporate incentive travel planners via five overseas offices and free advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

MICE Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue Sourcing & Contract Negotiation Specialists (THAHACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE), Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• MICE destination marketing
• Convention bureau services
• Conference bid support
• Incentive travel planning
• Venue sourcing Japan

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded destination marketing: JNTO is a government organization funded by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) to promote Japan as a MICE destination internationally. Revenue is generated through government budget allocation rather than commercial sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JNTO assists international associations, corporations, and professional conference organizers in planning and executing MICE events in Japan by providing free consultation, venue and city search tools, supplier directories, virtual venue tours, promotional resources, and on-the-ground coordination through five overseas offices. The organization supports conference bid preparation, site inspections, incentive travel curation, and connections to local convention bureaus, DMCs, PCOs, and venues across 50+ Japanese destinations.

Product overview

Japan Convention Bureau (JNTO) operates a platform of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) destination marketing services for Japan. The core offerings include virtual venue exploration (Japan Virtual Visit), city and venue search tools, supplier directories, and direct support services for conference and incentive travel planning. JNTO also provides digital resources including pamphlets, guides, and promotional videos to assist event organizers. The platform is accessible through regional offices in New York, London, Seoul, and Singapore.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Japan Virtual Visit Virtual venue touring platform allowing event planners and incentive travel organizers to remotely explore Japanese MICE venues and destinations before committing to a site visit.
• Conference Support Services End-to-end assistance for organizing international conferences in Japan including venue recommendations, social program coordination, local city/region coordination, and site visit support for international associations and PCOs.
• Incentive Travel Services Support for incentive trip planning including destination information, sample itineraries, exclusive experiences content, and DMC coordination for companies planning reward and recognition travel programs in Japan.
• Request for Proposal / Inquiry System Online inquiry and RFP submission system enabling event planners to request planning assistance from JNTO's overseas offices.
• City & Venue Search Searchable databases of cities and venues across Japan for MICE event planning, filterable by region, venue type, capacity, and features.
• Supplier Search Searchable directory of DMCs, PCOs, and other MICE suppliers operating in Japan for event organizers.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• INCON (International Convention Industry Network)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018JNTO collaborated with INCON to hold the 'Meetings Industry Seminar' in Osaka in February 2018. The seminar brought together international meeting planners with local industry and government partners to share best practices and develop international bid skills.
• ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJNTO is a member of ICCA, the global association for the international meetings industry. ICCA membership provides access to industry data, networking, and best practices for attracting international congresses.
• IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organisers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJNTO is a member of IAPCO and formed a formal destination partnership in August 2021. The partnership involves collaboration on fam trips, industry seminars, and knowledge sharing for conference organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hong Kong Tourism Board: Government tourism board with a dedicated MICE division that promotes Hong Kong as a meetings and incentives destination, including the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Comparable in mission, government backing, and Asian MICE market focus.
• Singapore Tourism Board: Government tourism board that actively promotes Singapore as a MICE destination through international offices, bid support, and venue marketing. Closest functional peer to JNTO in Asia, competing head-to-head for international association congresses and incentive travel.
• Germany Convention Bureau (GCB): National German convention bureau promoting Germany as a MICE destination, providing venue and supplier directories and bid support. Functional peer providing the same destination marketing services as JNTO.
• Korea Tourism Organization (KTO): National government tourism organization responsible for promoting Korea as a MICE destination, with overseas offices and dedicated convention bureau functions. Direct functional peer competing for Northeast Asian association and incentive travel business.
• VisitBritain: UK government tourism organization with a dedicated business events unit supporting international conferences and incentives in Britain. Peer in mission, government structure, and bid-support services.
• Tourism Australia: Australian government tourism agency that operates a dedicated business events division bidding for international association meetings and incentive travel. Comparable in scale, government mandate, and global office network to JNTO.
• Brand USA: National destination marketing organization for the United States that promotes international inbound travel, including meetings and incentives. Functional peer with similar government-affiliated destination marketing remit.
• Switzerland Tourism: National tourism organization with a dedicated meetings and incentives team promoting Switzerland as a MICE destination. Peer in structure (national tourism board) and in offering venue/supplier coordination and bid support.
• Tourism New Zealand: New Zealand government tourism organization that promotes business events and incentive travel via international offices. Peer in government structure, mission, and overseas-office-driven MICE support for international associations.
• Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB): Government-backed convention bureau promoting Thailand as a MICE destination across meetings, incentives, and exhibitions. Comparable in mission, government funding structure, and bidder support to JNTO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JapanSafeTravel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL92y26hheciKRqZbVACSmxNAzKQ_cF5N_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/japan-convention-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Japan Convention Bureau