Kotozna In-room, the Multilingual Digital Concierge for Accommodation Facilities, Saw a 5x Increase in Usage by Foreign Language Users in 2022 from September to December

●Overview
Kotozna (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO Genri Goto, https://kotozna.com/en) has conducted a survey of foreign language usage at accommodation facilities in Japan based on Kotozna In-room usage data. As a result, it was found that from September to December 2022, the number of foreign language requests increased by approximately 5x, and the number of foreign language users increased by approximately 4x. Furthermore, the number of languages used during 2022 was 46 (out of the 109 languages offered in the service), suggesting that there is a need for more multilingual communication and translation beyond English and Chinese.

●Foreign Language Usage at Domestic Accommodation Facilities in 2022 Increased by Approximately 5x from September to December
Kotozna In-room, a multilingual digital concierge for accommodation facilities, is a service that allows guests to check facility information and local sightseeing information in their own language and chat with staff in their native language from anywhere in the facility. The service was launched in October 2020 and is available in 109 languages.

●In 2022, 46 out of 109 Languages Were Used by Kotozna In-room Customers
In 2022, 46 out of a possible 109 languages were in use in Kotozna In-room by guests visiting accommodation facilities around Japan. Of the total number of requests made using our service, English accounted for half of the non-Japanese requests, followed by Korean and Traditional Chinese. On the other hand, Asian languages (such as Vietnamese and Thai), and European languages (such as French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese) were also used, proving the need for multilingual support beyond just English and Chinese.

According to a column by the Nomura Research Institute, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan will continue to grow, and the number of visitors to Japan is expected to exceed the level of 2019 in February 2024 (※1). In 2023, the number of foreign visitors to Japan is expected to continue to increase, and the need for multilingual support at accommodation facilities is also expected to grow in necessity. To prepare for this, Kotozna continues to develop new functions to further enhance the user experience.

※1 (Japanese Only) Nomura Research Institute, “Foreign Tourists Increased More Than Expected After Easing of Border Measures: 2023 Inbound Demand Forecast Upwardly Revised to 3.5 Trillion Yen”
https://www.nri.com/jp/knowledge/blog/lst/2022/fis/kiuchi/1227

●Customer Voices
Please check the official product page for the voices of the facilities using Kotozna In-room.
https://kotozna.com/en/in-room/customer-voice/

●About Kotozna In-room
Kotozna In-room is a newly developed information dissemination platform and communication tool for accommodation facilities based on the multilingual simultaneous translation chat tool “Kotozna Chat” (109 languages supported as of May 2022). Since its launch in October 2020, it has been introduced in approximately 250 facilities (as of September 2022). Guests do not need to download an application, but simply read the QR code with their smartphones (Note 1). Facility information and information on sightseeing in the area will be displayed in their own language, and they can chat with staff in their native language from anywhere in the facility. Chatbots can automatically respond to frequently asked questions, allowing staff to focus on other tasks. In addition to providing a menu with over 60 items (such as guest services, coupons, etc) in 10 themes, the corresponding items can be customized to meet the needs of the facility. The introduction of this service will enhance virtual communication between accommodation facility staff and guests, thereby simultaneously achieving a contact-free customer service as well as multilingual support, operational efficiency, and sales expansion.

▽Product Site
https://kotozna.com/en/in-room/

▽Kotozna In-room Introduction Video (JA)
https://youtu.be/CpTe3_Y_zpU

●About Kotozna
https://kotozna.com/en/about/
Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo

2016 Oct : Established
2018 Sept : Released “Kotozna Chat”, a multilingual chat tool
2019 Jun : Certified as J-Startup (Note 2), a Japanese startup development support program promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
2020 Feb : Business alliance with JTB
2020 Oct : Started selling Kotozna In-room (Kotozna In-Room: https://kotozna.com/en/in-room ), a multilingual communication tool for accommodation facilities, with JTB in Japan. Amidst the slump in inbound tourism, it has been evaluated as effective for DX and social distancing, and is currently (as of September 2022) installed in more than 250 facilities such as hotels and inns nationwide.
2021 Mar : Selected as a participant in the fourth phase of the Singapore Tourism Accelerator
2021 Aug : Selected by the Agency of Cultural Affairs for a 19 region project to digitalize and translate cultural property information. From 2018-2021, more than 100 cultural properties in 27 regions have been registered on the “Japan Cultural Properties Portal Site”.
2021 Dec : Kotozna Live Chat (now Kotozna laMondo) PoC begins as part of Singapore Tourism Board program
2022 May : Kotozna Singapore Pte.Ltd. established
2022 Sept : Released Kotozna laMondo (https://kotozna.com/en/lamondo/)

(Note 1) QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED
(Note 2) J-Startup: J-Startup is a startup development program promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to support the government’s goal of “creating 20 unlisted venture companies (unicorns) or listed venture companies with a corporate value or market capitalization of $1 billion or more by 2023. Ltd. was selected in June 2019.

Press contact
Kotozna PR Office
mail: [email protected]
Tel : +81-3-6434-0123