Barcelona-based online travel agency eDreams to start business in Japan

Barcelona (ACN).- The Catalan company announced on Monday that it will start working in Japan, the world's second-largest market for travel agencies. The Barcelona-based firm highlighted "the importance and potential" of Japan, hoping to gain a high market share within the country. Starting business activities in Japan represents "a gigantic step" for eDreams' internationalisation strategy, stated the company. The land of the rising sun is considered to be the largest travelling market in the Asia-Pacific region. eDreams' total amount of online bookings is some $30.8 billion. The company expects this type of booking to represent 40% of total bookings by the end of the current year. Including Japan, eDreams operates in 44 different countries, on 5 different continents. A year and a half ago, the company expanded its offices in the Catalan capital, located in Barcelona's World Trade Centre.

EDreams' Director for Business Development, Pablo de Porcioles, explained that the Catalan company chose to start working in Japan due to the country's "importance and potential". De Porcioles stressed Japan's "industrial capacity, trading importance and control over the financial markets". Furthermore, together with the United States, the Asian country is the world's leader in the production of cutting-edge technology and is also a leader in the automobile and naval industries. De Porcioles explained that these factors will consolidate Japan as the first market for travel agencies in the Asia-Pacific region. eDreams will be selling international flights, but it will also sell tickets for domestic and low-cost flights.