Rome to Tokyo Just Got Easier — And Your Incentive Group Should Take Note
ITA Airways joins Europe's biggest Japan joint venture. Here's why that's very good news for corporate travel planners with Asia on the agenda.
When was the last time you thought of Rome as a gateway to Tokyo? Probably never — and that's exactly what makes this news so delicious.
From autumn 2026, ITA Airways officially joins the heavyweight Europe–Japan joint venture already shared by Lufthansa, ANA, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines. The result? A five-airline partnership running roughly 160 weekly long-haul flights between Europe and Japan — with Rome Fiumicino now firmly on the map as a southern European hub for Asia-bound travellers.
Rome to Tokyo Just Got Easier.
For incentive planners, this isn't just aviation housekeeping. This is a door swinging wide open.
Why Planners Should Pay Attention
Until now, groups travelling from Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, or North Africa to Japan were funnelling through Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, or Zurich. Functional? Yes. Glamorous? Debatable. Now, Rome offers a genuinely competitive routing — in many cases, a faster one — with coordinated schedules, reciprocal lounge access, and seamless loyalty recognition across all five carriers.
That means fewer connection headaches, smoother logistics, and — critically — an excuse to route your group via one of the world's most seductive cities before they even reach Japan. Rome as a pre-trip add-on? Your delegates will never question the budget again.
Picture This: Your Group in Japan
Japan has long been the crown jewel of high-end incentive travel — and for good reason. This is a destination that rewards the extraordinary.
Imagine your top performers being welcomed at a private sake ceremony in a Kyoto machiya townhouse, or stepping into a Michelin-starred omakase counter where the chef has been perfecting his craft for forty years. Picture a sunrise visit to Fushimi Inari before the crowds arrive, a bullet train journey through snow-capped countryside, or a bespoke teambuilding experience in the bamboo forests of Arashiyama.
Beyond Kyoto, Tokyo dazzles — from a private after-hours gallery opening in Roppongi to a helicopter flight over Mount Fuji as golden hour sets the horizon on fire. Japan doesn't do ordinary. Neither should your incentive programme.
The DMC Difference
Here's the honest truth about Japan: it is extraordinary, and it is complex. Language, etiquette, supplier relationships, seasonal timing — all of it demands a local expert who doesn't just know Japan, but lives it. That's exactly where your DMC partner earns their fee.
A great DMC doesn't just book restaurants and coaches. They secure the experiences that simply aren't available online — the private temple tea ceremony, the sumo stable visit, the audience with a master craftsman. They turn an already-incredible country into something your group will spend the next five years talking about.
With Rome now unlocking faster, smoother access to Tokyo, the only question left is: what kind of Japan do you want to create?
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