- •SBI Ripple Asia and Tobu Top Tours launch a blockchain payment platform for travel.
- •Tokens linked to local services will drive cashless transactions, boosting local economies.
- •NFTs would offer digital rewards, fostering repeat visits and enhancing customer engagement.
Tobu Top Tours has partnered with SBI Ripple Asia to build a blockchain-based payment platform aimed at enhancing travel experiences. The collaboration focuses on issuing digital tokens tied to local destinations, using the XRP Ledger technology. This venture streamlines travel payments by integrating blockchain, NFTs, and digital assets into local economies.
The partnership was officially announced on September 30, 2025. Under the agreement, SBI Ripple Asia would issue proprietary tokens for various partner organizations. These tokens would be linked to local services like lodging, dining, and shopping, enhancing the cashless travel experience.
NFTs and Blockchain for Travel Ecosystem
Japan’s leading travel operator, Tobu Top Tours, would help recruit local partners through its market network to create a connected ecosystem of stores and businesses. NFTs would be used in this system to drive up customer engagement, who could earn rewards based on how they travel. The project is aimed to officially launch in the first half of 2026.
Based on XRP Ledger technology, the platform offers its users fast, safe, and inexpensive transactions. They would be privately branded and could only be spent in a four‑wall location, ensuring that digital funds stay inside the walls. It would create opportunities for local spending, small businesses, and the community generally.
The platform will provide users with a payment system that is easy to use, transparent, and uses blockchain technology. Each transaction would be logged on the XRP Ledger for security and auditability. Transparency of this kind would surely decrease fraud risks and instill even more trust between the sides. It would also simplify matters for tourists and the businesses that cater to them.
Geographically Restricted Tokens
One of the main components of the platform involves geographically restricted tokens. These could be location‑specific tokens, like a shopping district or tourist town.
NFTs would also be included in each transaction of the venture. NFTs will be digital souvenirs, guest passes, or loyalty benefits for future services. This ability is to promote revisits to local venues and develop an ongoing connection between travelers and the places they pass through.
The regional arm of SBI Ripple Asia expects that the service could have a major effect on small and medium‑sized businesses in affected areas and on such communities’ economies. The tokens would help to prevent tourist spending from leaking out of the local economy, and thus strengthen the money flow.
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The partnership could also be used in disaster response. Donations could be directed towards local businesses in disaster‑stricken areas with tokens. That way, aid wouldn’t go to national retailers but would support local recovery efforts on the ground in those areas.
In addition, the platform offers an opportunity for the fan economy. Sports teams, artists, and cultural institutions could create their own branded tokens. These tokens could be used for merchandise, concessions, or exclusive experiences, while NFTs act as membership cards.
This project is a break from the traditional NFTs as some pure digital art collectables. Developers have been able to innovate, adding features such as royalties and anti‑spam protection, since NFT support was added through XLS‑20 in 2022. DynamicNFTs (XLS‑46) have made NFT projects, which could evolve over time, possible, paving the way for gaming, ticketing, and identity solutions.
SBI Ripple Asia and Tobu Top Tours’ partnership set to revolutionize tourism payments in Tokyo. With the power of blockchain, NFTs, and digital tokens integrated, the companies are aiming to offer a more unified and localized travel experience.