ITOCHU Corporation and Globe-Trotter T&E Inc. (headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Takeshi Nakamura, President; hereinafter referred to as "Globe-Trotter") have launched a joint service for contribution and display of motion videos for international travel. Entitled "Globe-Trotter LIVE!," the service enables the sharing of motion video information about overseas trips, and is the first of its kind in the travel industry.

Background

Along with the expansion of consumption in the prevailing economic recovery, the number of Japanese nationals making trips to other countries is approaching 20 million per year. This growth is being supported mainly by travelers who are particular about details of their trip and want to travel freely. Changes are also surfacing in travel planning. In addition to conventional sources such as books and text information on the Internet, people are looking for more specific information using motion video to furnish them with more graphic images. ITOCHU and Globe-Trotter believe that motion video will be an indispensable source of information on travel from now on.
The diffusion of digital still cameras, digital video cameras, and mobile phones with a camera function has made motion video photography more accessible to the general public. This is being reflected in growing desires to share not only text and photos but also motion video footage taken at travel destinations with many other people.
In response to this situation in the market, ITOCHU and Globe-Trotter are going to offer the aforementioned service (http://live.arukikata.co.jp) as a venue for contribution, sharing, and viewing of motion video footage taken by travelers in other countries. Besides the footage contributed by users, the service will also display promotional videos prepared by tourism bureaus and hotels in other countries and motion video footage taken by foreign correspondents of travel agencies as available. It will therefore offer enjoyment both for users who want to show their own videos and those accessing merely to view.
We are convinced that the fusion of the high credibility of Globe-Trotter and the agile provision of the latest information by travelers will make this service a valuable source of information for people as they plan their next trip.

Objective and role

ITOCHU and Globe-Trotter will offer this service (to Globe-Trotter) in cooperation with the U.S. firm Motionbox, Inc.^*1, and will use it as the foundation for cultivating business opportunities in the e-business field encompassing the international travel market, which is diversifying and becoming increasingly multilayered.
In provision of this service, we are also going to support Globe-Trotter in the business aspect by, for example, offering advice that draws on our store of experience, know-how, and network ties built up over the years.
Globe-Trotter will provide the industry's first motion video contribution and display service together with ITOCHU in order to furnish users with web services that take account of the growing Web 2.0. By so doing, it hopes to further expand and build up its business as the leading company for information provision in the international travel industry.

Outline of the service

ITOCHU and Globe-Trotter will jointly supply users with the aforementioned service applying the motion video contribution service provided by Motionbox. Users will be able to use this service for contribution, display, sharing, and viewing of motion videos.

About Motionbox, Inc.

ITOCHU has been investing in Motionbox since March 2006, and is tied up with it as a business partner in the field of web-based motion video contribution and display services.

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