Avis Car Rental has announced its return to the Japanese market with the opening of a flagship location at Chitose International airport on Hokkaido Island.
The company says this is the first of several openings planned in Japan this year, with other locations set to open at Fukuoka International, Narita International and Kagoshima International airports this summer.
Idex Auto Japan, a dealer of new and used vehicles and a car rental operator based in the market, has been appointed a license to operate the Avis brand. The company is also a licensee partner for Budget, an Avis sister company.
Mark Servodidio, president, international at Avis Budget Group, said: “Relaunching our iconic premium brand into a market as large as Japan exemplifies our continued commitment to driving sustained profitable growth. And with Japan hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympics in 2020, the timing is perfect. Together with Idex Auto Japan, we look forward to bringing our world-class mobility products and services to business and leisure customers across Japan.”
Toshimichi Takada, president of Idex Auto Japan, added: “In recent years, the Japanese government took action to relax regulations in an effort to attract tourism, and its efforts have been well received. Japan has had a steady increase in the number of inbound tourists since, and East Asia is set to host some of the world’s largest sporting events. We’re exciting to build on this momentum and operate the Avis brand in Japan at such a critical time.”
avis.com