December 19, 2014, Tokyo – Fujita Kanko Inc., a leading Japanese hospitality company headquartered in Tokyo, announced it has signed a hotel management agreement with Haesung Industrial Co., Ltd, a Korean real estate company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, to open a hotel in Seoul. Fujita Kanko has not had any overseas properties since 2002 but is executing a new expansion strategy. The hotel is expected to open in the summer of 2018. Haesung Industrial Co., Ltd will start construction of the building, which it will own, in the summer of 2015.
The hotel will be located in the popular Myeongdong area in the heart of Seoul, the city’s hottest shopping district and main tourism hub, with numerous restaurants and entertainment spots. The hotel’s 330 guest rooms will all have Japanese-style bathrooms.
“We are truly excited about opening our hotel in Seoul, which demonstrates our firm commitment to expansion in Asia,” said Akira Segawa, Fujita Kanko’s President & CEO. “We are a Japanese tourism industry pioneer, with a proud 59-year history and the most innovative and upscale properties in Japan. Our campaign to aggressively globalize our clientele and properties is the beginning of a new chapter for us. South Korea has been a top destination for Japanese travelers, but we intend to cater to an international clientele and will feature the cultures of both Japan and Korea.”
In the past few years, Fujita Kanko has opened four overseas offices in Asia: Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei, with the goal of increasing sales, marketing and business development efforts in the region. It intends to leverage its expertise in hospitality, leisure travel, meetings, weddings and banquets to build local business.
