Abstract
Based on the results of surveys on the actual initiatives of travel agencies, this study explores the possibility of online tours, which were born in the midst of restrictions on the movement of people owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, traditional Japanese travel agencies were forced to change their business domains amid the rise in online commerce. Online tours are created as an alternative in situations where it is impossible to sell travel products, and they are certainly different from actual travel. However, when we surveyed the actual situation and purpose of online tours conducted by travel agencies, we could identify expectations for future possible use, such as building relationships with customers and cultivating new customer bases, even after the resumption of actual travel.
