Cultural adventure specialist InsideJapan Tours has introduced permanent price reductions on its off-peak and shoulder season small group tours.
As the Inside Travel Group brand marks its 25th year of running such tours in Japan, it has lowered their off-season pricing by 15% and shoulder season pricing by 7%.
Alastair Donnelly, Inside Travel Group co-founder and director, said: “There’s never a bad time to visit Japan and this isn’t about paying less for second best – far from it.
“It is a country blessed with magnificent scenery and experiences no matter what time you choose to visit.
“We have made the conscious decision to reduce prices for off-peak and shoulder season SGTs [small group tours] for those who are eager to get out and explore at times when there are fewer crowds, and when your money goes further on the ground.
This price reduction is part of the operator’s broader overtourism strategy, aimed at spreading tourism more evenly throughout the year.
“Over the past 25 years, we have seen Japan transform from a niche destination to one of the world’s most sought-after travel spots, which has brought its benefits and challenges – particularly during the peak cherry blossom season,” Donnelly said.
“By visiting outside of the high seasons, the locals and tourists can intersect more freely, paving the way for more authentic connections.
“You’ll not only enjoy lower prices but also have the chance to experience Japan in a more relaxed atmosphere.”
Richard Farmer, Inside Travel Group SGT programme manager, added: “There will always be visitors to Japan, but if you go at a slightly quieter time, the crowds will be sparser. That means clearer views, shorter izakaya bar queues and perhaps a moment of solace at each shrine you visit.
“You’ll still get to enjoy all the must-see sights and events, but with a local lens provided by our Insider tour leaders who open cultural doors and enable our travellers to glimpse a slice of everyday local life.”
On ‘Essential’ tours such as Japan Unmasked, travelling in early spring just before the blossom can save up to £850 on peak season tours.
One of the company’s oldest tours, A Northern Soul, explores the rural Tohoku region and clients can save up to £915 travelling in summer months.
A spokesperson explained that the peak seasons in Japan are the spring cherry blossom season from late March through April and generally the autumn season for the leaves, from October through to the end of November – so the shoulder and off-peak seasons fall around those time.
For example, the March shoulder season which leads into peak blossom season potentially offers the opportunity to see blossom, depending on when they bloom, or May when the gardens are at their greenest and in full bloom.
Off-peak includes the early summer from June into July when the country begins to heat up or the colder month of February in the depths of winter, but when there is a chance to see Japan in the snow or the plum blossom bloom.
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