Is it possible to travel using cryptocurrency payments? Introducing model plans for overseas and domestic travel, as well as the future of travel with Web 3.0

How is "Travala" different from general travel sites?

A next-generation travel site that makes the most of cryptocurrency payments!

Founded in 2017, "Travala.com" launched its service as a site native to cryptocurrency payments from the beginning. Therefore, not only can cryptocurrencies be used as a payment method, but the service as a travel site is also characterized by the use of blockchain technology.

・Activities can also be booked

Travala.com allows you to book not only flights and hotels, but also activities such as private tours and tickets to tourist attractions at your travel destination. This eliminates the need to exchange money for local currency at the airport and carry cash to pay.

・A wide range of options thanks to partnerships with major companies

In 2020, Travala.com partnered with Booking.com, one of the world's largest travel booking sites, and now allows users to book accommodations in 230 countries and regions around the world and more than 600 airlines. By using cryptocurrency as payment, users can enjoy their trip from a wide range of options without narrowing down their travel options.

・Returns using tokens

A site-specific token called "AVA" that utilizes blockchain technology will be rewarded for each reservation. It is worth noting that unlike points or coupons, these will be stored in a cryptocurrency wallet and can be converted into cash.

Even if it's a cryptocurrency payment native site, it's meaningless if you can't actually enjoy your trip. So, we've created a model itinerary using flights, hotel accommodations, and activities that can actually be booked on Travala.com as of November 2024. What kind of trip will it be?

Model Plan Overseas Edition

Head to Switzerland, home to the "Clift Valley"!

SCHEDULE

Departing from Narita Airport at 12 noon, take a direct flight with Swiss International Air Lines to Zurich. Flight takes about 14 hours.

▶ Arrive at the airport after 6pm on the same day. Stay at the Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle.

▶ Private tour of Lucerne and Engelberg from Zurich. Visit the beautiful old town and Mount Titlis.

From Switzerland's largest city to nearby tourist destinations

First, there is one direct flight from Narita to Zurich per day, so I chose that one. The flight departs Narita at 12:10 and arrives at Zurich airport at 18:30 on the same day due to the time difference. This time, I chose a hotel about 300m from Zurich airport.

The next day, I booked a private car tour from Activities, including hotel pick-up and drop-off. You can see the many tourist attractions in the historic city of Lucerne, about 30 minutes by car from Zurich, and then take a cable car to Mount Titlis, where you can see spectacular views of glaciers and eternal snow.

The advantage of Travala.com is that you can make all your reservations from flights to accommodation and sightseeing in one place, while receiving cashback in the form of tokens.

Model Plan Domestic Edition

Osaka aims to become a city that combines regional revitalization and Web 3.0 technology

SCHEDULE

Depart Narita Airport on an LCC and fly to Kansai International Airport. Of course, you can also choose a major airline.

▶Take a private tour from Kansai International Airport to Osaka Castle and other famous sights.

▶Stay at a hotel in the city. You can choose from luxury hotels to budget hostels.

Cost-effective and deep travel possible

You can travel to Osaka not only with major airlines but also with LCCs. Private tours, including transfers to and from Kansai International Airport, are also available, ranging from deep spots in Osaka to full-scale tours that extend to Kyoto and Nara.

Partnering with Booking.com, one of the world's largest travel sites, you can choose from over 1,000 accommodations in Osaka alone, with a wide range of options from luxury hotels to budget hotels.

Travala.com displays all prices not only in fiat currency but also in the cryptocurrencies it handles, so you can plan a trip using your cryptocurrencies without converting them to fiat currency. With the inclusion of token cashback, it is possible to have a very cost-effective trip.

We have already introduced how cryptocurrency payments can be fully utilized for booking flights and hotels, but what concerns us is the use of cryptocurrency for travel to the airport, on public transportation for domestic travel, and for shopping while traveling.

POINT 1. From a travel perspective, the biggest drawback is that it cannot be used on public transportation.

Currently, public transportation in Japan does not allow users to pay directly with cryptocurrencies without going through cash, meaning that even if you have booked your flight on a site like Travala.com, you will still have to pay for your trip to the airport in a different way.

POINT 2. Debit card-type cryptocurrency payment methods are also available overseas

Meanwhile, cards and other devices that replace traditional bank accounts with wallets for cryptocurrency payments have begun to be issued both domestically and internationally, and these can be used to travel around the country using methods such as credit card touch payments.

POINT 3. The biggest disadvantage of using it for travel at present is that its value is unstable.

Even if you pay via debit card, when you pay with cryptocurrencies, they are converted to fiat currency at the time of payment, meaning that you will always be affected by fluctuations in the value of the cryptocurrencies.

POINT 4. Will this become a model case for Japan? Osaka Expo Myakupe!

The "EXPO2025 Digital Wallet" is a service that will be available at the 2025 World Expo (Osaka Expo). It is a service that combines electronic money, point cards, and NFT collection functions.

The point card function will not be based on the amount of payments as in the past, but will be awarded for efforts such as participating in local events, and Expo-exclusive NFTs will be available by using electronic money and points, making it a service that aims to bridge Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.

In the area centered on the Expo site, the local economy, tourist behavior, and NFTs will be linked through a single app, making it a test case for solving a number of issues, such as making tourist destinations cashless, introducing Web 3.0 technology, and revitalizing the local economy.

COLUMN 1

So how did FeliCa become so commonplace? How is credit card touch payment spreading to public transport today?

FeliCa, a precursor to the now commonplace electronic money, represented by Edy and Suica, gradually spread from public transport to retail. Similarly, so-called credit card "touch payment" is currently being spread to automatic ticket gates, and this is likely to be the start of its nationwide adoption.

COLUMN 2

Not only transportation but also regional development using NFTs

Local governments in Japan are working on initiatives centered on NFTs. The mainstream is the issuance of NFT art. By selling NFT art that highlights the characteristics of the region, it is possible to increase awareness and attract tourists.

Other than that, something called a "digital resident card" is also being sold. By purchasing a "resident card" issued as an NFT, you can receive discounts and special services within the local government just like a citizen.

Not only will cryptocurrency payments allow you to travel and stay without having to exchange your money for the legal currency of the destination, but the use of NFTs and other technologies could create new value for travel destinations. We will consider future developments based on the Osaka Expo.

The use of technologies such as NFTs is now reaching rural areas. How will Web 3.0 technology change travel?

・Seamless payment without being tied to a transportation company

Currently, local transportation operators work together to issue something like a free pass, but even without this, the issuance of a dedicated token can provide a de facto cashback, further revitalizing the region. It is also possible to set detailed prices according to the season and the level of congestion.

In the past, such measures were bound by capital ties between transportation operators, and introducing electronic money in the form of a "digital local currency" would have led to problems such as capital investment, but by making it into a token, the money can be returned to the user's wallet. Users can also use the tokens returned from transportation costs to purchase souvenirs.

・Direct transactions with accommodations allow you to find lodgings like never before!

A feature of Web 3.0 technology is that it does not require a central administrator for transactions. Therefore, it may become possible for accommodations to be booked directly between the accommodation and the guest, which previously went through a travel site.

Of course, in Japan, the rental of privately owned facilities will be subject to legal regulations in the form of "minpaku" (private lodging), but this may lead to the birth of accommodations that were previously unthinkable.

Even if this is not the case, efforts are being made to expand the range of services, such as special services through NFT membership cards issued by "NOT A HOTEL" and "Travala.com" which uses blockchain technology to allow guests to share transparent reviews of accommodations with each other.

・Sustainable inbound tourism will also revitalize Japan

Amid a labor shortage, inbound demand is occurring, and accommodation facilities in particular are struggling to keep up.

In this situation, if accommodation facilities and guests could use blockchain technology to exchange necessary information such as facial photos to accommodate foreign tourists, it would enable a system that could accommodate foreign tourists even when the front desk is almost unmanned, making sustainable tourism more than just a passing fad.

Furthermore, through the special services and sales of NFT art using NFTs introduced above, as well as unconventional economic activity that links tourist experiences to tokens, it is possible to imagine a future in which tourist experiences, or "experience consumption," become part of the local economy rather than just the consumption of goods.