Discover how RIO Hotels is transforming Japan’s regional tourism by blending cultural heritage, immersive themes and sustainable revitalization. From dinosaur-themed stays to gastronomy-driven hospitality, the company is creating unique travel experiences that connect global visitors with the soul of local Japan.
Whether 150 years ago or today, Japan continues to captivate travelers with its rich culture, deep history, and breathtaking natural landscapes. Ranked number one on the World Economic Forum’s Tourism Development Index, it’s also one of the fastest-growing tourism markets in Asia—alongside countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand. Last year alone, Japan welcomed a record-breaking 36.8 million visitors. In your view, what makes Japan such a premier travel destination?
Japan’s appeal lies in the remarkable diversity it offers within a relatively compact geographic area. Visitors can explore cutting-edge urban centers set against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty, all while immersing themselves in a rich cultural heritage that spans centuries. The ability to experience so many different facets of Japan in a short period of time makes travel here especially captivating.
One of the country’s greatest strengths is its social safety. Japan is known as one of the safest nations in the world, and its highly developed infrastructure allows for convenient, secure, and comfortable travel. Additionally, the depreciation of the yen has made Japan an even more attractive destination, offering travelers access to high-quality accommodations and services at significantly lower costs compared to many Western countries. As of February 2025, Japan recorded a tourism surplus of 560 billion yen—a clear indication of Japan’s enduring appeal and the global draw of its unique charm.
There has been some concern around overtourism in Japan, prompting the government to adjust its strategy. Rather than focusing solely on attracting 60 million tourists by the end of the decade, the emphasis has shifted toward quality over quantity, with a new target of generating JPY 15 trillion in inbound tourism revenue. Given RIO Hotels' strong presence in Japan’s regional areas, how is your company helping to ease the pressure of overtourism while positioning tourism as a catalyst for regional revitalization?
Overtourism is most evident in destinations like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Mt. Fuji, where tourist traffic tends to be heavily concentrated. In contrast, our hotels are distributed across Japan, including in rural regions that are often overlooked by international visitors. However, attracting foreign tourists to these less-traveled areas comes with its own set of challenges. Infrastructure to accommodate international guests—such as multilingual services and appropriately equipped accommodations—is still underdeveloped, and local communities often maintain a conservative outlook when it comes to tourism.
Our approach to regional revitalization starts with addressing that mindset. We believe the first step is engaging with local residents and demonstrating our commitment to supporting the area’s growth. Many communities don’t fully recognize the unique appeal of their region, even though they understand the importance of economic revitalization. Rather than introducing external ideas unilaterally, we work closely and collaboratively with local stakeholders.
We begin by developing or renovating accommodations to meet the expectations of international travelers. This involves updating facilities to modern standards, refining services, and setting price points that appeal to a broader audience. Through this process, we aim to build trust and establish long-term partnerships with the local community—supporting sustainable regional development while helping these areas become more accessible and appealing to foreign visitors.
Japan has many beautiful regional areas. Yet without proper guidance, many of those hidden gems can be difficult for travellers to discover. From the perspective of inbound tourists eager to explore regional Japan, what services does RIO Hotels provide to bridge communication and infrastructure gaps and ensure that visitors can fully enjoy these lesser-known destinations?
As a hotel, we see ourselves as a concierge for the local area—particularly for international travellers who may not be familiar with the region. A great example of this is our work at the Katsuyama Hotel, located near the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, which is considered one of the top dinosaur museums in the world and draws many foreign visitors. To support guests, our staff prepares custom local maps highlighting recommended restaurants, izakayas, and attractions. These are made available in multiple languages, including English and Chinese, to ensure accessibility.
For group travellers, we also organize guided tours of the surrounding area. Even local supermarkets become popular destinations, as they offer a glimpse into everyday Japanese life—from fresh produce to convenience store snacks. When large tour groups are scheduled to visit, we notify supermarkets in advance so they can be prepared. It’s all part of our effort to make regional stays more welcoming, informative, and enjoyable for international guests.
Beyond serving as informal tour guides, we also emphasize the importance of cultural respect. For example, when visiting a local supermarket, tourists are stepping into a space where residents go about their daily lives. It’s important that they observe proper etiquette. That’s why we gently encourage our guests to be mindful of Japanese customs and to act respectfully as they explore the area.
RIO Hotels is known for bringing stories to life through unique and immersive guest experiences. Among your standout properties are Hotel Grand Hanamaki and the recently opened, dinosaur-themed hotel in Katsuyama—an especially distinctive addition in Fukui. Could you tell us more about the kind of in-house experiences guests can expect at your hotels, particularly at the dinosaur-themed property?
At our Dinosaur Hotel in Katsuyama, Fukui, we offer a fully immersive dinosaur-themed experience. Fukui Prefecture has actively promoted dinosaur tourism, anchored by the Fukui Dinosaur Museum—one of the top three dinosaur museums in the world—and our hotel has emerged as the largest dinosaur-themed hotel in the region.
Families often continue their museum adventure at our property, where both children and adults can enjoy an extended, themed experience. Our guest rooms are designed with playful dinosaur motifs, and we also feature a dedicated dinosaur-themed playground for children. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity for guests to stay connected to the excitement and imagination sparked by the museum visit.
Beyond the dinosaur theme, the hotel is set in a truly beautiful location. Nestled in a valley surrounded by three mountains, the hotel offers sweeping views of the landscape and nearby rice fields. As the tallest building in the area, guests enjoy panoramic vistas—lush green paddies in summer and a peaceful, snow-covered landscape in winter. After a day of adventure, the serene natural setting offers a perfect atmosphere for rest and relaxation, allowing guests to experience both wonder and tranquillity in one stay.
It’s clear from our research that RIO Hotels is a pioneer in regional and content-driven tourism, particularly in blending immersive experiences with storytelling. As a leader in this space, how do you measure the impact of content tourism beyond traditional metrics like room occupancy?
When people hear the term content service, they often think of something trendy or high-tech. But for us, it’s about storytelling that’s grounded in what already exists—the local history, culture, people, and natural landscape. Our mission is to serve as a bridge between these rich regional heritages and visitors from outside.
We aim to foster deeper interaction and appreciation through meaningful experiences that connect travellers with the soul of a place. It’s not just about occupancy rates—it’s about the quality of the engagement, the memories created, and the long-lasting impact on both guests and the communities we serve.
Your offerings already span a wide range of themes—from authentic cultural experiences to dinosaurs, poetry, and philosophy. Looking ahead, do you see opportunities to collaborate with other sectors, such as anime or sports? Where do you envision the future expansion of content-driven themes?
Our approach isn’t about actively chasing the next trend or content theme. Instead, we focus on creating opportunities for meaningful encounters—experiences that naturally evolve into new forms of content, whether that’s through anime, sports, or other cultural expressions.
For example, we’ve hosted local events, including a photography-based orienteering activity in the Hanamaki area. In this activity, participants visit 36 designated locations by walking or running, take photos, and earn points based on how many they collect—points that can be exchanged for rewards. It’s a fun and engaging way to explore the region, and it draws in diverse groups of people.
Initiatives like this not only put our brand in the spotlight, but they also offer new perspectives and foster deeper connections with local communities and visitors alike. Through these kinds of experiences, we’re able to uncover new possibilities and inspire future content organically.
In recent years, you’ve significantly expanded your portfolio, including the opening of a new property in Iwaki and the rebranding of Hotel Global View Sapporo. Looking ahead to 2025 and 2026, are there any exciting new openings or rebrandings on the horizon for RIO Hotels?
On April 16, we announced the opening of a new property in Urawa City, Saitama Prefecture. The hotel is scheduled to begin operations in December 2025. It’s an exciting project, and we sincerely look forward to the opening!
As for our Iwaki hotel, renovation plans are currently underway. The nearby Spa Resort Hawaiians is a well-known regional attraction, and the local government actively promotes the area as a Hawaiian town—even encouraging city staff to wear aloha shirts during the summer months. To reflect and support this local identity, we’ve incorporated a Hawaiian-inspired design concept into the hotel’s interior, creating a cohesive and culturally aligned guest experience.
Tourism plays a vital role in regional revitalization, especially in rural areas—Niseko Ski Resort being a prime example of this success. RIO Hotels seems closely aligned with this broader trend. Why have you chosen to focus on revitalizing existing regional properties rather than developing new hotels from the ground up?
We operate under Rio Holdings, which is guided by a philosophy and action plan focused on addressing societal challenges through business. One of Rio Holdings’ core strengths lies in real estate management and operations. The full scope of activities—from renovation and repurposing to managing properties and overseeing asset performance—requires a wide range of specialized expertise and can be overwhelming for a single organization to manage from the ground up.
Our mission is to support the wellbeing of real estate by revitalizing and unlocking the value of underperforming assets. In line with this vision, we focus on renovating and upgrading existing hotels that aren’t reaching their full potential. Breathing new life into these properties not only aligns with our capabilities, but it also reflects our commitment to sustainable development and regional revitalization—a cornerstone of our corporate mission.
Many of the companies and hotels we’ve spoken with are actively partnering with online travel agencies (OTAs) to increase global visibility and attract more inbound travelers. Is RIO Hotels also exploring OTAs as a strategy to expand its international presence? More broadly, what types of partnerships does RIO Hotels prioritize in its growth strategy?
To promote our hotels, we’ve already established partnerships with four major global OTAs and are in the process of implementing the Global Distribution System (GDS) to expand our reach to a wider customer base. Given that many of our properties are located in regional industrial cities, our hotels often cater to business travelers. As such, attracting international business clientele is a central focus of our promotional strategy.
In addition to working with OTAs, we’re also collaborating with travel agencies to further strengthen our brand presence and visibility. These partnerships help us build awareness not just in leisure travel markets, but also among professionals and organizations looking for reliable, quality accommodations in regional Japan.
This has been a fascinating conversation. From our discussion, three distinguishing features of RIO Hotels clearly stand out: your strong regional focus, with properties in underserved areas; your content-driven approach that showcases local culture in unique ways; and your highly competitive pricing compared to other brands. With these strengths in mind, and beyond business travelers, who do you see as your key target customer segments?
We operate themed hotels across Japan, each designed to attract guests with specific interests that are closely tied to the local culture. For example, Grand Ciel Hanamaki draws inspiration from the literary universe of Kenji Miyazawa, famous author of The Restaurant of Many Orders, among others, inviting fans of Japanese literature to immerse themselves in the world of one of the country’s most iconic authors.
With the rise of gastronomy tourism, we’re also targeting food lovers and culinary professionals—such as chefs—by offering immersive experiences centered on Japanese cuisine at our gastronomy-themed properties. A great example of can be found at our Hotel Tsu Center Palace, where we showcase ingredients and recipes original to Mie Prefecture, which are prepared using traditional fermentation methods. These content-rich experiences allow us to connect with a broader audience beyond business travelers, attracting culturally curious guests and enthusiasts seeking more meaningful, niche-oriented stays.
If I were a traveler visiting Japan for a week, could you recommend an itinerary that features stays exclusively at RIO Hotels properties?
Starting in Kushiro, Hokkaido—famous for its internationally recognized wetlands and lakes—you’ll be treated to one of the most breathtaking sunset views in the world. From there, head south to Hanamaki in Iwate, then continue on to Niigata. Your next stop is Fukui and Katsuyama, where you can explore the renowned Dinosaur Museum and stay at our immersive dinosaur-themed hotel.
After that, make your way to the Sea of Japan side with a visit to Mie Prefecture, and then journey further south to Kyushu. This itinerary offers a rich and diverse experience of Japan’s natural beauty, regional culture, and unique hospitality—each stay connected through RIO Hotels. It’s a meaningful way to discover Japan through the lens of local stories, landscapes, and traditions.
If we were to return in 2030, what goals would you hope to have achieved by then? How would you like to see RIO Hotels evolve by the end of the decade?
Right now, our focus is on developing the unique stories behind each of the properties we acquired during the COVID-19 period, while also renovating and refurbishing them to meet modern standards. Over the next year, we’ll be laying the foundational framework to support this work. As we move forward, we plan to strengthen our portfolio by deepening partnerships with companies and local governments—an approach we believe will help us identify and acquire new properties that align with our corporate mission.
The core philosophy that defines RIO Hotels will remain unchanged. However, we understand the importance of staying flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of society. Storytelling is central to who we are—it’s how we communicate the essence of each local area. These stories may not always be flashy or immediately attention-grabbing, so it takes time for them to truly resonate. That’s why we actively use social media and encourage guests, especially inbound travelers, to share their experiences. We hope that through these shared narratives, more people will come to appreciate the value and character of our hotels.
By 2030, we envision RIO Hotels playing a broader and more strategic role—not just as a hospitality provider, but as a trusted bridge between communities and visitors, and as a storyteller of local heritage.
The hotel industry is highly volatile, as we’ve seen with global disruptions like COVID-19 and currency fluctuations. That’s why building a stable management structure and ensuring steady, sustainable growth is critical—not just for our operations, but to earn the trust of the communities we serve. During the COVID period, we were able to double our number of properties, thanks in large part to the solid foundation provided by our holding structure. Even in times of uncertainty, we aim to demonstrate our long-term commitment to consistent and responsible growth.
For more information, please visit: https://www.rio-hotels.co.jp/en/
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