Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. said Tuesday it will launch a service providing information on accommodation and tourist sites for Chinese travelers to Japan on its social media platform WeChat.

The firm plans to launch the service in the central Japan region later this year in cooperation with a body to promote Chubu international airport in Aichi Prefecture before expanding to other areas in the future on the expectation that tourism will rebound once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

Chinese WeChat users, who make up the majority of the Asian country's population, will be able to find directions to popular tourist sites, search for restaurants and use coupons through the service, according to Tencent.

Tencent Cloud International Senior Vice President Poshu Yeung said in an online interview that the company aims to expand the service to as many cities as possible and locations such as Tokyo and Kyoto where many Chinese people visit are good candidates.

The Central Japan International Airport Promotion Council, which is comprised of the Chubu airport operator, local governments in central Japan and companies in the region, has been acting as a bridge between Tencent and the local business community.

==Kyodo

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