Rakuten Travel Plans U.S. Push: Exclusive

▤ Summary

Rakuten Travel plans to enter the U.S. market with an initial focus on the West Coast and Hawaii, targeting areas with strong Asian ties and familiarity with Japan. The company intends to leverage its existing American user base from Rakuten.com (Ebates) to cross-sell travel services and embed travel into its wider digital ecosystem. Rakuten is developing AI-powered hotel search tools and aims to roll out a global loyalty program, though it recognizes challenges in localization and differing U.S. loyalty preferences. The push reflects a strategic effort to convert existing shoppers into hotel guests and expand Rakuten's international travel footprint.

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