Enhancing Tourist Experience with AI On-demand Transportation

SWAT Mobility begins Full-Scale Operation of AI On-demand Transportation Service after Proven Successful Trials in Hakuba Village

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Initiative Overview

Following successful pilot runs last winter and this summer, the on-demand transportation service will begin full-scale operations this winter. As a new initiative, SWAT's operational app will integrate with Hakuba Village's platform app, "HAKUBA Do," to seamlessly provide restaurant reservations and transportation services. This integration aims to enhance travel convenience and address challenges faced by restaurants at the destination, such as difficulty in making reservations or accommodation staff being overwhelmed with reservation requests. Users can easily transition from making restaurant reservations on "HAKUBA Do" to booking a ride with "Hakuba Night Demand Taxi (HND)," with the app automatically setting the nearest drop-off point to the restaurant. This will alleviate the burden on restaurants in Hakuba Village and improve convenience for restaurant patrons. Additionally, by offering a fixed-rate unlimited ride plan for residents using the My Number card, an identity document for citizens of Japan, we aim to provide a service with pricing structures suitable for both tourists and residents, ensuring easy access to transportation services for all.

Background

Hakuba Village annually welcomes approximately 2 million tourists, particularly during the winter season, including a significant number of inbound tourists. However, the village's intracity mobility mainly relies on bus services, which can be challenging for foreign tourists unfamiliar with the local transportation system. To address this regional issue, Hakuba Village, Alpico Kotsu, BIPROGY, and SWAT Mobility Japan collaborated in the winter of 2022 as part of the "Challenge Nagano" program, an open innovation initiative by Nagano Prefecture. This collaboration led to the launch of the AI-driven on-demand shared taxi service, "Hakuba Night Demand Taxi (HND)," aimed at improving mobility within the village. During its operation, the app registered 3,939 users, including 2,875 foreign users, with a total of 12,000 completed rides. The service achieved high levels of operational efficiency, with a 73% ride-sharing rate, and received excellent service satisfaction ratings, with 91% of users giving it a 5-star rating. This initiative significantly contributed to the vitality of Hakuba Village during the winter tourism season. Building on this success, the collaboration continued in the summer of 2023 with the operation of the AI-driven on-demand shared taxi service during the summer season, known as "Hakuba Summer Demand Taxi."

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This collaborative initiative demonstrates a successful model for addressing mobility challenges in tourist destinations. By leveraging innovative solutions and technology, such as AI-driven on-demand transportation services, communities can enhance the overall tourist experience while improving the efficiency of their transportation systems. As we look ahead, this partnership sets a strong foundation for future smart mobility initiatives, ensuring that Hakuba Village remains a sustainable and accessible destination for tourists and residents alike.

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This initiative is led by a collaborative body consisting of multiple entities, including transportation operators, with the participating operators from last winter's pilot operation forming the "Challenge Hakuba" coalition.

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