Japan's largest travel agency JTB has teamed up with tech company Panasonic and courier service Yamato to create a new 'Luggage-Free Travel' service.

The aim of such a service is to help "make travel in Japan easier and more enjoyable for travellers from abroad by eliminating the hassle of hauling their luggage around".

The number of foreign travellers to Japan continues to grow, with numbers expected to rise to 40 million per year by 2020, when Tokyo hosts the marquee Olympic and Paralympic Games.  

From January next year, tourists will be able to apply for this service at www.luggage-free-travel.com. After entering details of their itinerary, including drop-off and pick-up locations, visitors will be issued a QR code for use when checking in and retrieving their luggage at locations such as airports, train stations and hotels.

The QR code eliminates the need to fill up shipping forms in Japanese. The service is available in English, Chinese and Korean.

The service will cost ¥2,000 ($17.7) each way for small luggage and ¥2,500 (22.1) for large luggage. Additional fees may apply. - TradeArabia News Service