Greetings from Sébastien Duval in Japan! This Golden Week (end: 07 May), I guide British honeymooners and enjoy hiking plus outdoor hot springs 🙂
Passionate business development manager in Tokyo, I support Japan’s economy and local communities through the events, tourism and hospitality industries. Media/travel colleagues and I provide a comprehensive suite of services: consulting, content creation, digital marketing, guiding… and I closely consider world competition, diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability. You need such help? Contact me.
This April, I promote a famous international choir touring Japan to residents/travellers, and a new Japanese performers troupe to MICE organizers worldwide. And upcoming work looks exciting!
- May 2024: Meet officials of a hot-spring city.
- May 2024: Guide high-net-worth Australians in Tokyo.
- May 2024: Finalize a partnership with a French travel agency.
- May 2024: Consulting for helicopter tours (later promote with a partner magazine).
- May ~ June 2024: Business trips in Kyoto to organize a 3-day MICE event for ±300 Indian professionals.
- June ~ September 2024: Curate exclusive experiences in west Japan for discerning millionaire/billionaire travellers.
- November 2024: Guide a French group during a 2-week spiritual tour.
- 2025: Guide a French family in Kansai and beyond during the World Expo.
Discover on this page “Sébastien Duval in Japan”:
Business Development Manager
I am an events/hospitality/tourism/travel expert knowledgeable about Japan, with international perspectives, powered by digital technologies, supported by diverse professionals, with access to Japan Travel’s resources. I always strive for clients’ success rather than just pageviews, and I favour long-term relationships.
Events, Hospitality, Tourism, Travel Expert
I have a good grasp of the events, hospitality, tourism, and travel industries from the perspective of both travellers and service providers. Passionate tourist/resident and Japan consultant, I am also a certified guide with experience for leisure and corporate tours, former travel agent, former MICE organizer (tourism chair of SUI international conference), former speaker in Japanese at national conferences (in Japan) and in English at international conferences, regular attendee of events such as Tourism Expo Japan and Wellness international conference (and occasionally Castle Festival…), and occasional attendee of events such as Earth Celebration, Comiket and Sapporo Winter Festival. I am familiar with the market of affluent travellers.
As an expert, I was notably mentioned in international newspapers (BBC, Salaam Gateway Dubai), in Japanese newspapers (e.g. Chunichi Shimbun), in travel news (Skift, TTG Asia), and on radio shows (e.g. One Life Radio).
Sebastien Duval, a Tokyo-based travel consultant for Japan Travel who works in the inbound tourism industry, is well-versed in helping the local market meet the needs of international visitors.
BBC – Japan’s diverse meetings and events destinations
Sébastien […] is so knowledgeable & funny […] Japan can have a bad rap as not having vegan options but he really does a great job of showing that they do and there is a plethora and it’s all really colourful & delicious, and that made me really excited!
One Life Radio – Interview: Courtney Garza, VEGWORLD Magazine’s editor-in-chief
旅行・総合メディア会社に勤めるフランス人のデュバル・セバスチャンさん（４３）は「欧米の人は新幹線の路線図を見て、行き先を決めることが多いので、北陸には行きやすくなる」と評価した。
Chunichi Shimbun – Hokuriku-shinkansen extension: awareness remains low
Knowledgeable About Japan
In Japan for 20 years, I explored from arctic Hokkaido to tropical Okinawa, attended diverse festivals & ceremonies, practiced crafts and martial arts with masters, discussed with diverse Japanese, and read a lot. Through everyday life, holidays and work, I learnt about both the consumer and provider sides, especially regarding ryokans and hot spring resorts. Finally, I follow the news about Japan in English and Japanese.
With International Perspectives
Cosmopolitan French, I lived in France, the USA, South Korea, and Japan. Besides, I visited Canada, the UK, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria, the Netherlands, China, Andorra, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Denmark, and Germany. Finally, I deepened my knowledge of other cultures (and of the religious needs of Jews and Muslims) while guiding Australians, New Zealanders, Israelis, Lebanese, people from UAE, people from Dubai, Egyptians, Singaporeans, Brazilians, Mexicans… Practically, I am particularly familiar with western markets. Although I remember little Spanish and Korean, I am fluent in English, French and Japanese.
Powered By Digital Technologies
Finally, I understand digital technologies. My career started with a PhD in information science, as a member of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, doing research related to ubiquitous computing and smart cities, notably writing one chapter of the book “Smart Clothing: Technology and Applications”. As a travel professional, I edited photos/videos, created a podcast (some audio editing by me some by an intern), and did online advertising. Nowadays, I frequently use artificial intelligence and social networks.
Supported By Professionals Worldwide
My professional network includes Japanese & international professionals in the tourism, hospitality, events/MICE, F&B (especially vegan), and sustainability industries. We met during my studies (e.g. alumni of Japan’s Business School of Travel Industry), at events (seminars, conventions, exhibitions), when I was a community manager (a few interns I supervised + 20,000+ volunteers), during projects (locals + freelancers), and during holiday trips. In addition, 6,600+ professionals worldwide follow me on LinkedIn, where I acquired some clients and closed some sales.
With Access To Japan Travel KK’s Resources
My company’s core resources are its staff, portal and social accounts.
With diverse backgrounds and complementary knowledge/skills, my colleagues bring a myriad of useful perspectives, insights, and sources of multilingual information/data bolstered by great teamwork. It’s easy to succeed in western markets with a New Zealander CEO, American COO, British creative director, Australian project manager, French/German/Italian/Japanese travel agents… When in-house staff lack specialized knowledge or availability, we rely on trusted freelancers especially for photography and videography.
Japan Travel’s public portal in 15 languages contains 50,000+ articles by 2,000+ writers (my profile should be its only Sébastien Duval in Japan), covering the 47 Japanese prefectures, all mainstream themes, and many specialized topics (e.g. vegan travel). Google organically highlights our portal, typically ranking it №1 for “Japan Event“, №1-2 for “Osaka Event” and №3 for “Tokyo Event“.
Finally, Japan Travel publishes and interacts on diverse SNS platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X/Twitter, a Chinese platform… On the contrary to many competitors, our social accounts are organically grown, leading to a highly-engaged audience of Japan fans. Instagram is most successful, with 300,000+ followers, often 15,000+ views per reel, and occasionally viral content exceeding 1 million views. Globally, we reach millions of people all over the world every month.
My Clients & Services
Business development manager and consultant for Japan Travel media/travel agency, I help companies, organizations and the Japanese government based on my 20 years in Japan and stays in 21 countries. Together, we elevate your strategy, improve quality of service, create bespoke products, raise awareness, increase sales, promote long stays and world-class events, attract & satisfy foreigners, revitalize local economies, and fight depopulation through job creation.
My consulting typically supports broad strategies involving many stakeholders so client satisfaction best hints at my added value. It’s typically very high according to feedback, repeat requests, and introductions by some clients to managers of other departments.
🌏 World Level
I worked for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as a member of the press. I was the only on-site full-time news writer for the French official website. The Games were exciting, the athletes impressive, and teamwork with English/Spanish/… journalists fruitful. No surprise I now dream of making a difference during Japan’s next prestigious event, the 2025 World Expo.
Certified guide and English/Japanese interpreter, I accompanied board members of multinationals, rich families and heirs from the Middle East… My most memorable moment was when a client pointed to a skyscraper near Tokyo station then asked me how much it would cost and if Japanese law allowed foreigners to buy…
🌍 International Businesses
I worked with a British company that organizes internship programs in 18 industries on 4 continents, to raise awareness and increase sales related to internships in Tokyo. Our audience read 13,000+ times our uniquely-designed feature page in English and a significant (confidential) percentage then visited the official website.
Recently, I established a partnership with a French travel agency to raise awareness about its tours at less-travelled destinations and to increase their/our sales of transportation services.
🗾 Japan – National Government
Several Japanese ministries and governmental agencies used my consulting services:
MOE – Ministry of the Environment 🌄 Weeks hiking & canyoning with Japanese rangers at national parks, sharing my thoughts and answering questions to develop inbound sustainable tourism in nature during the low season and to evaluate plant-based cuisine.
MAFF – Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 🌾 1 day in Tokyo testing cooking classes for western tourists, enabling vegan variations, and attending a meeting to increase Japan’s rice exports.
MLIT – Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 🚗 9 days at off-the-beaten-track destinations with continuous feedback then writing road-trip articles with EV info (13,000+ views in English and 3,000+ in French) to help revitalize local economies. I also advised on luxury adventure tourism in Mount Fuji area.
Reconstruction Agency ☢️ 2 days near Fukushima nuclear plant to develop emotional & financial support for local communities through “hope tourism” following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Practical matters, risk perception, cultural differences, and storytelling were all important.
🗾 Japan – Local Governments
My most frequent request has been consulting for countryside cycling (+ mountain biking in a forest once). However, I helped Japanese prefectures and cities in many ways. For example:
Ishikawa Prefecture 🚐 Project management for the creation of videos about road trips with AI-powered campervans for western tourists & residents to raise awareness about Noto Peninsula. Appreciated, the 9-minute video was watched 37,000+ times.
Goto Archipelago ✝️ Remote & on-site consulting about Christian pilgrimages to develop religious tourism. Writing of a travel article in French (3,000+ views) to raise awareness in France. During another project, on-site consulting about branding, activities, cycling tours, etc. to develop inbound tourism.
Wajima City 🚵 Writing of manuals to train inbound cycling guide candidates, notably mentioning disabled cyclists and families with young kids. Organization and realization of a local cycling tour to provide data/insights. Impact expected in 2025 (no tourism in early 2024 due to a major earthquake – the manuals replaced on-site seminars).
🗾 Japan – Local Bureaus
I worked in many ways for Japanese bureaus. For example:
Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau 📱 On-site meeting to redefine the media strategy of the Go Tokyo official website and social networks.
Okinawa Marine Leisure Safety Bureau 🪸 Talk with Q&A about inbound marine sustainable tourism during a seminar in Japanese to help businesspeople of Okinawa Prefecture understand sustainability/regeneration and identify related opportunities.
Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau 🤝 Project management for the creation of videos promoting MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) to international organisers. Almost all the requirements from the many decisionmakers & stakeholders were fulfilled. Delightfully, top hotels such as Conrad Osaka and Swissôtel Nankai Osaka collaborated, drag queens appeared in the video (Osaka strongly supports the LGBTQ+ community), and the big entrance screen of Osaka international exhibition center “Intex” displays the main video. Unrelated project management included the creation of articles promoting spiritual tourism and an innovative artistic event to foreign tourists & residents (the promotion of this Noh-with-projection-mapping event deemed a success as many foreigners attended).
🗾 Japanese Businesses & Organizations
I worked in many ways for Japanese businesses and organizations. For example:
Diverse clients (including a news agency) to raise awareness and increase time-limited sales (e.g. seasonal beauty products, concerts, illuminations), create food products for export…
Tokushima Prefectural Museum 🎨 Writing of a manual for inbound guides coming to the museum for the first time to optimize visitor flows, increase visitor satisfaction, and reduce risks related to the perception of international historical conflicts.
Yuranza 🎵 Writing of a reference article (5,000+ views) to inform and convince organisers of MICE events and corporate tours/workshops. Highlight of inclusive services for e.g. wheelchair/blind travellers. Digital campaign to increase awareness and sales. MICE timeframes usually being multiyear, we expect results only from late 2024.
More About Sébastien Duval In Japan
You can check dedicated pages to learn about my career and education & certifications. Explore my blog posts for updates about projects, reactions by experts (follow links to see comments/reposts on LinkedIn) and information about events, travel, tourism, and hospitality in Japan.
My profound love for Japan extends beyond its beauty. I witnessed its resilience through natural disasters and pandemics, staying despite hardships after living the 2011 Tohoku earthquake (home between Fukushima & Tokyo), during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after witnessing the 2024 Noto earthquake on TV (business trips in Noto 8 weeks earlier and more planned that month). This intense country has diverse gorgeous nature, fascinating cultures, exciting festivals… and I have a deep appreciation for its wonderful people (I’m very grateful to great artisans & farmers who taught me so much) and traditions, including a great sense of hospitality.
I’d be glad to help you enjoy and/or succeed in Japan.