Digital Sightseeing Passes in Japan: A Group Agent's View

On 7 October 2026 Travel Voice reported that JTB, its group company Good Fellows JTB and Fontrip Technology Japan, the Japanese company of Taiwan-based Fontrip, are working together on digital passes for local sightseeing in Japan. Their first product, TOHOKU FunPASS, started on 1 October 2026: the traveller shows a QR code on a smartphone to receive benefits at more than 30 facilities and shops in Tohoku. Our Japan team covers the detail in its note on digital sightseeing passes; this page is the short version for agents who sell group programmes.

Why Does This Matter to Group Agents?

• Passes are moving onto the phone. Fontrip's digital tourism platform is centred on Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau, and the report says the group was selling more than 13 million digital tickets a year as of 2025.
• Clients will ask about them. Travellers who have used a pass on an independent trip often expect one on a group tour too.
• A pass is a product, not an itinerary. It bundles entry, discounts or small extras at several places; it does not book a time slot for forty people.

Where Does a Pass Fit in a Group Programme?

• Free afternoons. A pass gives clients something structured to do without the tour leader arranging each visit.
• Independent extensions. Clients who stay on after the group can tour at their own pace with one purchase.
• Not the fixed visits. For a coach group at set sites and set times, a pre-booked group admission with one booking, one entry and one invoice is still quicker and simpler to reconcile.

What Should Agents Check Before Selling a Pass?

• What is included: entry, or only a discount at each place.
• Which facilities are open on the actual travel dates.
• What happens if a phone fails. The pass lives on the device, so battery, data and support terms matter.
• How close to departure the contents were confirmed. Pass contents change, so check near the travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TOHOKU FunPASS?

A smartphone sightseeing pass from JTB, Good Fellows JTB and Fontrip Technology Japan, launched on 1 October 2026, with benefits at more than 30 facilities and shops in the Tohoku region.

Should a coach group use a digital pass for its main visits?

Usually not. Group admissions booked in advance move a group through the gate faster and keep one invoice per visit. Passes suit free time and independent travellers.

Can a pass be added to a group programme as an option?

Yes, as a free-time option. Explera confirms what the pass covers and which facilities are open on the travel dates before recommending it.

What if a client's phone fails during the trip?

Without a working phone the pass cannot be shown. We check each pass's support terms and advise clients to carry a power bank.

Source: Travel Voice, 7 October 2026.

Where Explera Fits

Our Japan team books group admissions, plans free time in Tohoku and elsewhere, and briefs your tour leader on any pass clients use.

Write to b2b@explera.jp or message +66 93 656 8090 on WhatsApp. Explera DMC is IATA TIDS-registered (96215733) and an ASTA member (900408341).