Japanese Travel Agency TokudAw Partners with WHILL
Japanese travel agency TokudAw’s new partnership with WHILL provides a greater degree of freedom for guests with mobility needs.
Oct 22, 2024
Tokyo, Japan, May 1, 2024 – TokudAw has partnered with WHILL to provide its guests with access to short-distance mobility support vehicles during their Japanese tours, ensuring that travelers with additional mobility needs are able to get the most out of their experience.
Silver tourism and multi-generational travel are on the rise.
Over the last decade the travel and tourism industry has seen a marked increase in “Silver Tourism” – travelers over the age of 50 – and multi-generational travel where a range of age groups travel together. Condé Nast recently identified ‘skip-gen travel’ – where grandchildren and grandparents travel together – as a trend expected to increase through 2024, while figures from the UK’s Office for National Statistics show a 37% rise in spending by people over 65 on trips abroad in the last 4 years.
Providing the best experience for travelers with additional needs.
As the average age of travelers increases, TokudAw’s new partnership aims to meet the greater demand for mobility support among its client base, giving its guests the best possible experience of Japan. WHILL’s short-distance mobility vehicles, including the Model F, are lightweight and easy to use, and can be stowed in TokudAw’s private car services for deployment by guests as required.
Wanping Aw, Managing Director of TokudAw, tested WHILL’s vehicles at Asakusa Nakamise Street, one of Japan’s most populated tourist destinations:
“WHILL was very easy to use! It has an intuitive patented joystick technology that allows the traveler to navigate easily and safely even in very crowded tourist destinations. The wheels are designed to absorb shock and allow easy movement even on uneven surfaces. It has 4 speed modes and exceptional responsiveness, allowing for complete control over even minor adjustments of position.
WHILL’s products are not just for travelers with disabilities, but for any of our guests who find long periods of walking difficult, who are easily tired, or who want to feel confident that they can keep up with their group. This partnership, and the addition of these new personal vehicles to our service, will give these guests a greater degree of independence, comfort, and confidence, allowing them to enjoy their experience of Japan that much more.” – Wanping Aw, Managing Director and Co-Founder, TokudAw.
“WHILL provides our short-distance mobility vehicles and services in about 30 countries and regions. We are very happy to announce this partnership with TokudAw, and will continue to work closely to expand its services for in-bound tourists to make short-distance travel more convenient and accessible to people around the world.” — Satoshi Sugie, CEO, WHILL Inc.
About TokudAw Inc.
TokudAw is a comprehensive destination management and consulting business that facilitates travel, event planning, and market entry in Japan for overseas corporations; consulting for students wishing to study in Japan; and premium bespoke tours for private leisure travel.
Our premium bespoke tours emphasize family travel, multi-generational groups, and silver travelers. After many years of working closely with guests with additional mobility needs, we have considerable expertise in providing guests with the support they need to ensure they enjoy the best possible travel experience.
Our mission is to facilitate mutual understanding between non-Japanese and Japanese individuals and corporations, to foster harmonious relationships that transcend cultural differences, and contribute to a collaborative and inclusive global environment.
About WHILL Inc
WHILL designs and manufactures short-distance mobility vehicles suitable for pedestrian areas. This includes the Model F, a lightweight and foldable option ideal for family travel.
WHILL continues to create comprehensive transportation services to meet temporary and short-term mobility needs, including rental services for domestic and international travelers. The WHILL Autonomous Service, which combines Japan’s most advanced technologies, has been introduced at major airports in Japan (both domestic and international terminals) to transport passengers to boarding gates as an alternative to existing wheelchair services. At the same time, the service helps to further improve and optimize passenger services by reducing the burden on airport staff.