Major League Baseball (MLB) has entered into a multi-year partnership with JTB Corporation, Japan’s largest travel agency.
The deal sees JTB become an official sponsor of the MLB World Tour, with the company also set to offer exclusive international hospitality packages for the season-opening Seoul Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
The two-game series at Seoul’s Gocheok SkyDome on March 20-21 marks the regular season Dodger debuts of Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“Last year we experienced a dramatic rise in demand for travel and events around the world as we finally moved beyond most challenges caused by the pandemic and now we clearly see that the market needs for real and exciting experiences are very strong,” said JTB President Eijiro Yamakita.
“In this situation, we are deeply impressed by MLB’s commitment to bringing the wonderful experience of baseball games to people around the world, as it resonates with our brand slogan: ‘Perfect moments, always’.
“We are ready to create opportunities for people to enjoy baseball with our solid global network, knowledge and hospitality.”
JTB will also be offering access for fans outside of the United States to buy VIP ticket and hospitality packages to World Tour events with matches due to be played in Seoul, Mexico City and London.
The travel agency also has the ability to provide MLB regular season games tickets to fans based in Asia as part of hospitality packages that also include travel to and accommodation in the US.
“With MLB’s growing international popularity over the last decade, we have continually focused on developing and growing the game abroad,” said MLB’s deputy commissioner for business and media Noah Garden.
“As we embark on an increasingly ambitious schedule of global events, we need key business partners who can match our ambitions and work closely with us to keep growing Baseball fandom around the globe. We believe JTB can provide that vital support and we look forward to working closely together on the World Tour.”
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