A tourism operator in Japan has created a clever marketing campaign to unite fighting couples during the Covid-19 pandemic. Keisuke Arai found that while under lockdown, he and his girlfriend was getting into more arguments than usual. After much research, he found that many couples were in the same boat.
Arai’s company, Kasoku, decided to offer a solution while still generating an income during the tough economic times spurred by the coronavirus predicament. The company decided to advertise empty vacation rentals to stressed-out couples.
He told CNN Travel that he wanted to prevent people from divorcing. "The idea behind the vacation rentals is so that married couples can gain some much-needed time and space to think about their relationships. We wanted people to take the space to reflect on what wasn't working in their relationships,” he told the publication.
The company will offer 500 fully furnished rooms in hotels and inns across Japan. They could rent it out for a day or up to six months. A stay would cost around 4,000 yen (R683) per day and up to 90,000 yen (R15 374) per month. The company has since received over a hundred queries from people hoping to use the rentals as a place to work or seek solace away from their partner. Majority of the requests came from females in their 30s and 40s, CNN Travel reported.
Arai has also partnered with a divorce consulting service for couples who may want to go their separate ways. Only time will tell whether Arai's idea will work or not!