SINGAPORE, 15 October 2025: Just weeks after announcing the acquisition of Northstar Travel Group, Eijiro Yamakita, President and CEO of JTB Corp, took the stage at Web in Travel (WiT) Singapore 2025 to share his perspective on the future of global travel.
The acquisition, which sees Northstar operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of JTB, marked a significant milestone in JTB’s growth strategy, expanding its reach into B2B travel events, media, and market intelligence. With Northstar’s portfolio including iconic brands such as Travel Weekly, Business Travel News, ALIS, The Meetings Show, and Phocuswright, the move strengthens JTB’s influence across the global travel ecosystem.
Yamakita’s participation at WiT Singapore underscored the strategic importance of Asia in this new chapter. He joined a heavyweight lineup of speakers from Expedia, Agoda, Booking.com, Google, and JTB Corp, reflecting WiT’s role as a platform where the industry’s most influential leaders gather to debate the forces shaping the next era of travel.
“Northstar brings outstanding expertise and fresh perspectives that perfectly align with JTB’s strategic vision,” said JTB Corp President and CEO Eijiro Yamakita. “Appearing at WiT Singapore is a chance to continue that conversation, exploring how we can collectively drive innovation, deliver superior customer experiences, and shape the future of global travel.”
This year’s conference, convened from 6 to 8 October 2025 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, also marked WiT’s 20th anniversary under the bold theme “The Next 20.”
Looking forward rather than back, the programme explored the seismic shifts set to define the next two decades of travel – from the acceleration of AI to shifting demographics and societal change. Sessions challenged delegates to consider how travel must reinvent itself to remain relevant, resilient, and human.
“Having Eijiro Yamakita with us this year, so soon after JTB’s acquisition of Northstar, is symbolic of the new bridges being built across the industry,” said Web in Travel Founder and Editor Siew Hoon Yeoh. “It reflects the scale of the conversations we’re curating as we look to The Next 20 years of travel. WiT has always been about connecting the dots between global forces and local realities, and this year’s programme is no exception.”
(Source: Web in Travel)
