Today, in 2014,
there are some 8,000 people working at KNT,
but when we started out as Nippon Tourist back in 1941, there were only five of us.
Throughout our history we have always risen to meet new challenges.
Having pioneered Japan's sports travel industry,
we know the business inside and out and are proud to have earned the loyalty and gratitude of our customers over the years.
Most of all, we're committed to building on our proven track record to take the tourism industry to heights never reached before.
Nippon Tourist Co., Ltd. is established.
With just five employees, the company starts
selling tour packages to schools.
Nippon Tourist is the first in Japan
to book entire trains exclusively for school trips.
Nippon Tourist merges with
Kinki Nippon Air Travel and Sightseeing
to become Kinki Nippon Tourist.
KNT opens its first overseas office
in San Francisco.
Deregulation of overseas travel
paves the way to opening more offices abroad.
KNT becomes the first Japanese travel company to successfully conduct a tour via international charter flight.
Seeing that a chartered plane used to transport international athletes to the Tokyo Olympic Games was scheduled to return home empty,
KNT seized the opportunity and booked it
for a tour group.
When the tour was over, the KNT group piggybacked on the carrier's return flight to pick up the competing athletes in Japan.
This precedent-setting move marks a milestone in the international air charter business.
KNT makes travel arrangements for 300 Japanese tourists at the time a staggering number traveling to see the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City.
KNT brings leisure travel to the masses
with the launch of the Mate
and Holiday tour packages.
KNT becomes Japan's
first full-service travel agent to go public,
a strategic move that boosts the position of the entire travel industry.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary,
KNT launches Matsuri in Hawaii,
an annual event held in Hawaii
to showcase Japanese culture.
The first such event ever organized
by a travel agency,
it draws a great deal of attention.
In 2014 it marked its 35th anniversary.
IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Tokyo
KNT wins contracts to arrange accommodations, transportation, the athletes’ village, sponsor hospitality packages, VIP services, pre-event training camps, and more as its sports travel business hits its stride.
Involvement with this event leads KNT to expand its business to include providing accommodation, transportation and sponsor hospitality for world championship-caliber sporting events including the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.?
