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Kintetsu International was founded in 1910 as Osaka Electric Railway, Co., Ltd., a small railway company serving the thirty-kilometer route between Osaka and the ancient capital Nara . From this modest beginning, Kintetsu has grown into a 580-kilometer rail network, making it one of the largest private railway companies in Japan . The Kintetsu group consists of many subsidiaries which include manufacturing rolling stock, buses, trucking, air freight , travel agencies, taxis, rent a-car companies and automobile dealers. In addition to all that, the Kintetsu Group is also involved in real estate developing, hotel chains, department stores and supermarkets making it one of the largest conglomerates in Japan . The Kintetsu stock is listed in the stock exchange of Tokyo , Osaka , Nagoya and Kyoto .
Kintetsu actively sponsors cultural activities of arts, history and the sciences. In addition, Kintetsu is the proud owner of one of Japan ’s professional baseball teams, the “Kintetsu Buffalos”.
Established in 1955, our parent company “Kinki Nippon Tourist”, with headquarters in Tokyo Japan , is one of the top full service travel agencies with over 350 branches worldwide and an annual sales volume of over $6 billion.
Our first branch in the USA opened in San Francisco n 1965. We currently have 5 strategically placed branches in the USA with over 100 employees. In 2001, we attained the rank of #28 in the prestigious Travel Weekly's TOP 50 Agencies in the USA .
Since 1965, we have been experts on Japan and specialize in the following areas: |
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Discount Tickets to Japan & beyond (All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Thai Airways, United Airlines & Varig Airlines) |
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Japan Rail Passes |
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Group Tours to Japan & beyond |
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Package Tours to Japan & beyond |
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Meeting and Incentive Arrangements in Japan & beyond |
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Our Vision:
As it has been, Kintetsu International (USA) will continue to be KNT’s integral operating arm in the United States within its global service networks. At the same time, as a travel company operating in the Unites States, Kintetsu International (USA) should be managed as a bona fide US business institution to be governed by the laws and business customs of the land.
Further more, Kintetsu International (USA) should commit in becoming a leading company within the KNT Group companies whose global business operations constantly expand in scale and categories. We believe that Kintetsu International’s independency, stability, and growth in its business operations will contribute to expanding KNT’s entire global servicing capabilities.
Our is essentially an age of innovation and challenge, where we are expected to think and act in global perspective. The 21st Century is the century, where our travel industry is predicted to become the largest industry in the world. Customers, Employees, Corporations, and Markets will be totally globalized; and there would be no nationalities or national borders in travel operations. However, the core principle of travel operations will never change. Regardless of globalization of the markets, travel companies’ existence depends on their Customers.
By providing value and satisfaction to our existing customers, we can turn our prospects into our customers. To maximize our customers’ satisfaction, we need to develop new and added values to our tour products. Our assets should be utilized to their fullest extent for this purpose. The raison d’être Kintetsu International and its business expansion will be derived from, and achieved from such processes.
Fostering Human Resources
Capable employees are the most important assets of any corporations. It is our employees and their leaders, who can render high quality services to our customers. It is our employees and their leaders, who provide our customers with innovative tour plans and products, and generate profits through such services. The management of Kintetsu International should maintain a firm stance in its Human Resource Management Policy: Race, Nationality, Age, and Gender should never be the obstacles for recruiting, fostering, and retaining our employees. The management should be responsible for creating an open, free, and flexible organizational structure and corporate culture, where employees can maximize their potential capabilities.
Pursuing Professionalism
All the employees are expected to be professionals whose expertise can assure maximum satisfaction for every customer of the company. To grasp the individual customer’s specific needs, and provide him/her with pertinent advice on his/her specific issue, you need to develop “consulting” expertise. To develop such expertise, your constant self-discipline should be mandatory in obtaining professional knowledge and skills. The company management will always be positive in investing its financial assets in developing the company’s indispensable human assets.
Employment of the State-of-the-art Technology
To excel ourselves within the competitive markets, we should actively employ state-of-the-art Information Technology (IT). IT is constantly in progress, and our insight into state-of-the-art IT will lead to strengthened customer services, development of new sales methods and innovative tour products, rationalization of tour operations, and expansion of diverse networks in every range of levels.
Development and Enlargement of Markets
There are no nationalities or national borders in tour products and services. As soon as you spot prospective customers, you should pursue them to turn them into your own customers no matter what market you are in and where you are. Your accumulated experiences, knowledge, Kintetsu International’s corporate networks, its business results and purchasing power should extensively be mobilized to cultivate new markets. To realize this, you should always be alert and sensitive towards the direction of the markets with your challenging spirit.
Alliance With Our Business Partners:
Without cooperation and assistance of our business partners (agencies, local tour operators, suppliers, etc.), the company would never be able to guarantee its customers of any products or services with high quality. Providing our business partners with “raw data” or homogeneous information required of mere tour arrangements would be insufficient. In doing your daily operations, you should consider “alliance” with our business partners. A major key for the company’s stronger position within the market is consistent and firm alliance between your business partners and yourselves.
Contribution to Local Area Communities:
As one of the corporate responsibilities, we are expected to contribute, in certain forms, to the local area communities where we are operating. As an employee of the travel industry, you should realize that our industry is contributing to our local area communities, to a great extent, in growth of local economies including employment and cultural exchanges, etc. By further augmenting such contributions, the local area communities’ recognition toward our industry will be enhanced; and thus, you will become more proud of being a travel professional. Kintetsu International ( USA ) has committed to become a “community-friendly” business institution to gain ample understanding and cooperation from its local area communities.
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