Coocom Co., Ltd, a successful internet-based Japanese travel agency, has launched Club Tocoo! English, an English version of their unique service in August 2003. By utilizing otherwise-vacant rooms, Club Tocoo! English is able to offer as much as 77% discount on normal prices charged at Ryokan, Minshuku, and Western-style hotels of Japan. This translates into as little as 1050yen per night per person.

"Japan has always been an expensive place for a traveler. Whether looking to stay in a Ryokan to experience the traditional culture, or looking for a cheap stay in a city for a business trip, travelers were never given the best deal. We launched Club Tocoo! English in order to put an end to this unfair situation and to make it possible for international travelers to experience real Japan." says Keiji Nishimura, the Founder & President of Coocom Co., Ltd.

Coocom is now in search of overseas business partners that are able to cooperate in this field. It has also launched affiliate program that would provide affiliates with attractive content for their users.

The launch of Club Tocoo! English is a part of their expanding services, which now include car rental and package holidays. These services will be added to Club Tocoo! English later this year. Club Tocoo! is also launching international hotel reservation service in their Japanese site, and the same service will be available in Club Tocoo! English in the near future.

Club Tocoo! started five years ago in Japan. Its unique and revolutionary service is based on principles such as; no commission from the hotels, separate charges for meals and beds, and utilization of otherwise vacant rooms at discounted prices. Its principle is based on the assumption that with the same accommodation-charges as much as in many foreign countries being realized, a traveling to / in Japan can be more easily enjoyed. The service is run solely on the membership fees, which eliminates the conventional unclear charging system by informing the customer of exactly what is charged by the hotels, not by the agent. The service now counts the membership of more than 300,000 members, and the number of registered hotels has increased to 2,000 hotels in Japan.

Keiji Nishimura thinks the reason for the success of Club Tocoo! lies in the fact that it "has stuck to a system that is radically different from that of conventional travel agencies, and has established it as a successful business model in the field of internet travel reservation". "We believe our clear charging system and the principle that allows international travelers the choice of having their meals elsewhere, go a long way in meeting their needs. Our service has started from a traveler's viewpoint, and we will continue to provide the travel services that is focused on travelers."

Founder & President Nishimura started "Akiyado-Club" (the vacancy hotel club -- old club name) of vacant room use with only 42 hotels in January '98. With a catch of "an overnight stay of 1200 yen by vacant room use", its services have been observed by many mass communications from the beginning. And it has gained a number of users through word-of-mouth and now Japanese version launched five years ago. Now has more than 300,000 members and 2,000 hotels, 900 rent-a-car branches nationwide, and 1,000 vacation packages.