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Agoda Reveals Rising Travel Interest Ahead of Japan’s 2026 Summer Music Festival Season

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 ― Searches for Niigata, host destination of FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL, on the rise for Japanese travelers, highlighting growing interest for “music event travel”  ―

SINGAPORE, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Agoda Company Pte. Ltd. (Headquarters: Singapore; CEO: Omri Morgenshtern), which operates the digital travel platform Agoda, has revealed a rise in travel interest for Japanese travelers linked to major music festivals taking place across Japan in summer 2026, based on the platform’s accommodation search data.

According to Agoda’s data, accommodation searches from Japanese travelers have increased for popular summer music festival host destinations. Niigata, the host destination of FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26, recorded the highest growth in travel interest with domestic searches up 114% year-on-year. The increase indicates growing interest for “music festival travel,” where Japanese travelers choose destinations and plan out itineraries motivated by upcoming music events.

The data is based on accommodation searches made by Japanese travelers 90 days before the event date for check-ins starting one day before the event, compared to 2 weeks prior to the event date.

Niigata, Host Destination of FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26, Sees Growing Domestic Travel Interest

Niigata, where FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26 will be held, recorded the highest growth in domestic travel interest among summer festival destinations. This increase reflects FUJI ROCK’s enduring appeal as one of Japan’s most iconic outdoor summer music festivals, as well as the distinctive appeal of Niigata as a travel destination. Held in the Naeba area of Yuzawa, FUJI ROCK is closely associated with its open-air setting, mountain scenery, and immersive atmosphere surrounded by nature. This unique environment allows festivalgoers to enjoy music in a setting that feels different from everyday urban life.

Beyond the festival itself, the surrounding Naeba and Yuzawa areas also offer a wide range of travel experiences, including hot springs, local food culture, scenic landscapes, and resort-style stays. For travelers looking to make the most of their summer trip, Niigata offers a natural extension of the festival experience, where live music, nature, relaxation, and local culture can be enjoyed together. This combination may be encouraging more domestic travelers to consider FUJI ROCK not only as a music event, but also as a reason to plan an overnight getaway in the region.

Experience-Led “Music Festival Travel” Interest Expands Across Japan 

The growth in domestic travel interset seen in Niigata also points to a shift in how travelers are engaging with music events. Rather than viewing festivals and concerts as standalone activities, more travelers appear to be using them as anchors for broader travel plans, combining event attendance with overnight stays, dining, sightseeing, and local experiences in the host destination.

This trend is not limited to regional festival destinations. In large cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, travelers can combine summer music festivals with urban attractions, shopping, dining, and cultural experiences. In leisure-oriented destinations such as Okinawa, music events can also serve as a trigger for travelers to plan longer, more experience-led stays. Reflecting this growing interest in music-driven travel, Agoda reports that accommodation searches increased across other major music festival host destinations in Japan this summer:

SUMMER SONIC 2026 TOKYO — Tokyo: Domestic searches +29% year-on-yearMasterPeace 2026 — Okinawa Main Island: Domestic searches +25% year-on-yearNUMBER SHOT 2026 — Fukuoka: Domestic searches +15% year-on-yearSUMMER SONIC 2026 OSAKA — Osaka: Domestic searches +11% year-on-year

These results suggest that “music festival travel” is continuing to gain momentum across Japan. From nature-led festival destinations such as Niigata and Okinawa, to major cities and travel hubs such as Tokyo and Osaka, music festivals are increasingly becoming a catalyst for travelers to rediscover destinations through local culture, dining, sightseeing, and stay experiences.

Tadashi Ikai, Senior Country Director, Agoda International Japan, shared, “Music festivals are increasingly becoming a travel purpose in their own right, extending beyond simple event attendance. In recent years, we have seen the rise of “festival travel,” where travelers incorporate accommodation, sightseeing, local dining and other destination experiences into their festival trips. Agoda’s latest search data shows growth in travel interest across both regional destinations such as Niigata and Okinawa, as well as major host cities including Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. This suggests that music events are increasingly inspiring travelers to explore destinations across Japan, whether through regional getaways or city-based festival trips. At Agoda, we remain committed to offering a wide range of accommodation options and travel products, helping travelers enjoy not only the event itself, but also the unique stay experiences each destination has to offer.”

Through Agoda’s platform, travelers can seamlessly search and book more than 6 million holiday properties, over 130,000 flight routes, and more than 300,000 activities. Travelers can also easily discover great-value accommodation deals through the Agoda mobile app and official website, Agoda.com.

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SOURCE Agoda

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VITG Unveils Modern Managed Services and Managed Detection & Response as Part of a Broader AI and Cybersecurity Transformation across ANZ

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SYDNEY, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As organisations across Australia and New Zealand navigate the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence, increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and growing governance requirements, Virtual IT Group   (VITG) has announced the launch of Modern Managed Services  (MMS)  and Managed Detection & Response  (MDR) , that are next-generation managed services and managed security offerings designed to help organisations remain secure, resilient and ready for what’s next.

Modern Managed Services delivers a Modern Defensible Architecture framework for managed IT operations, ensuring security controls, governance frameworks and operational best practices are embedded and continuously maintained. Complementing this, Managed Detection & Response provides organisations with 24×7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) capability, actively monitoring, investigating and responding to threats using advanced security analytics and response technologies.

Jeremy Nees , Chief Product Officer, VITG , said:

“Too often, organisations purchase managed services only to discover they do not have the standard level of security they need. As businesses adopt AI, the old-world IT solutions that Managed Service Providers (MSP) are selling are simply not going to cut it. We’ve baked common security requirements into the MMS service from day one, applying the key principles of Modern Defensible Architecture: Secure-by-Design, Defense in Depth, and Zero Trust.

MDR and ZDR   can be layered on top or are available independently if you have your own IT service or team. The push to adopt AI is leaving security gaps across the ANZ mid-market. Our goal is to provide customers with technology that is secure, resilient, and ready for what’s next.”

The launch marks VITG’s second major solution release of the year, following the introduction of its Zero Trust Consulting Practice  and Zero Trust Detection & Response  (ZDR)  offering earlier in 2026. It is also the Group’s first launch since acquiring cybersecurity outfit Security Centric , building on the addition of Auckland based The Instillery  in 2025 and further strengthening VITG’s capabilities across managed services, cloud, cybersecurity, data and AI. VITG is also advancing a dedicated Data & AI Practice and Momentum, a continuous improvement framework currently being piloted with customers ahead of a market launch later this year.

Since joining VITG  at the start of the year, Maurice McCarthy , Chief Executive Officer , is committed to moving at pace to meet the demand that has been created off the back of the market’s rapid adoption of AI.   

McCarthy said, “The traditional managed services model was built for a different era. Today’s organisations need partners that can help them unlock the value of data and AI while strengthening cybersecurity, managing risk, and continuously evolving their technology environment.

Through the acquisition of Security Centric and The Instillery we have brought together market-leading expertise across managed services, data and AI, and cybersecurity. This launch is the first of several innovations we will introduce as we help organisations accelerate transformation and realise greater value from AI.”

Sash Vasilevski , Chief Security Officer, VITG , said:

“The technology businesses are using to unlock the value of AI, integrate systems, and build strong data foundations, is rapidly introducing new risks and attack surfaces.

As business leaders accelerate their adoption of AI, the gap between the threats they face and the security capabilities they have in place is growing faster than many businesses realise.”

Modern Managed Services and Managed Detection & Response are available immediately.

For more information, visit:

Modern Managed Services (MMS)

Managed Detection & Response (MDR)

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SOURCE Virtual IT Group

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DUVA Introduces DUVA ONE at IFA 2026: Personalized Sleep Earbuds That Respond in Real Time

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The Sleep System That Understands You Best.

BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DUVA, created by Fitnexa, is introducing DUVA ONE at IFA Berlin 2026. This intelligent in-ear sleep system is designed to sense changes in the user and the bedroom, then personalize audio, noise control, and device behavior throughout the night.

Most sleep wearables explain what happened after users wake up. DUVA ONE is designed to help while the night is still happening. Its low-profile earbuds, environment-sensing charging case, and app work together to determine when and how to respond.

A user might start the night with a podcast over Bluetooth. After they fall asleep, DUVA ONE can introduce locally stored sleep audio and optimize power use. If a partner begins snoring or traffic grows louder, it can adjust ANC or add sound masking. In the morning, a private offline alarm wakes only the wearer, without requiring an active phone connection.

In-ear PPG and motion sensors estimate sleep stages and track heart rate, HRV, sleep position, and movement, while the case monitors noise, light, temperature, and humidity. The AI Agent interprets these signals alongside playback status and personal preferences to select an appropriate response. Users control sleep audio, playback duration, ANC strategy, and nighttime interventions in the DUVA App.

“Sleep does not happen in a static environment, so sleep technology should not remain static either,” said Diego, Founder of Fitnexa. “DUVA ONE is designed to respond while sleep is still happening.”

Key Highlights

Layered noise relief: Passive isolation, Hybrid ANC, and sleep audio provide noise reduction of up to 42 dB, with Transparency Mode and adaptive ANC calibration.Personalized AI sleep guidance: The AI analyzes the user’s real-time sleep state and generates personalized audio guidance to help them gradually fall asleep.Side-sleeping comfort: Each fitted earbud weighs approximately 3.3 grams and has an approximately 9.9 mm low-profile design. Two ear-tip shapes and multiple tip and stabilizing-wing sizes provide more than 40 fit configurations.All-night battery: Up to 16 hours in the most power-efficient configuration, including 13 hours of local audio with ANC off and 9.5 hours with ANC on. The USB-C and wireless charging case provides up to five additional recharges.Private offline alarm: Alarms gradually increase in volume and offer 5, 10, or 15-minute snooze options through the earbud controls.Privacy-first sensing: DUVA ONE does not record conversations, store ambient audio, or upload raw environmental audio. Users can disable individual sensors and delete historical data.

DUVA ONE is planned for release in October 2026 at a target retail price of US$349.99, with target markets including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia.

Media Contact: essie@duva.com
Learn more: duva.com

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SOURCE DUVA

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China Xplained | The China Squeeze, or the China Opportunity?

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GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is a news report from South: 

Is China’s manufacturing rise squeezing out or creating opportunities for other economies?

Ahead of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in China this November, journalists and experts from around the world gathered in Guangdong for the Asia-Pacific Media Forum (APMF) 2026.

The forum opened in Shenzhen on September 5, bringing together more than 400 representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from international organizations.

Before the opening of the forum, participants travelled across Guangdong to see China’s industries and development first-hand.

In this episode of China Xplained, we look at the numbers, supply chains, investment and voices from across the developing world—to ask a bigger question: Is China squeezing out room for other economies?

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-xplained–the-china-squeeze-or-the-china-opportunity-302870814.html

SOURCE South

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