Rakuten Travel Plans U.S. Push: Exclusive

Rakuten Travel, the online travel arm of Japan’s sprawling tech and retail conglomerate, has set its sights on the U.S.

“U.S. is one of the markets that we wish to enter,” James Park, CEO of Rakuten Travel Xchange and director of Rakuten Travel Singapore, told Skift in an exclusive interview.

But Park knows America is not a single market. 

For now, Rakuten Travel sees the strongest opportunity on the U.S. West Coast, where Park pointed to larger Asian-American communities, stronger business ties to Asia, and deeper familiarity with Japan as a destination. Hawaii is also on the company’s radar, given its long-standing appeal among Japanese travelers.

The U.S. matters for another reason. Rakuten already has an American consumer foothold through Rakuten.com, the cashback shopping platform most Americans know as Ebates.

That existing American user base is the foundation Park wants to build on. The goal is to attach a travel