Japan specialist InsideJapan plans to resume tours for clients from July 2, as the country opens up again to visitors after the pandemic.
The Japanese Tourism Agency (JTA) has outlined requirements for tourists, which come into effect from June 10.
Visitors from 98 countries, including the UK, will be allowed to enter Japan on fully escorted group tours with set itineraries, run by licensed Japanese tour operators.
The agency suggests that tour operators are responsible for informing their clients about guidelines such as mask-wearing on public transport and in accommodation plus general health and hygiene etiquette to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
No quarantine or testing will be required in Japan, but all travellers will need to produce proof of a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure for Japan and adequate Covid-19 medical insurance.
Simon King, InsideJapan co-founder and director, said: “This is the first major step towards opening borders to tourism again.”
Although InsideJapan is a British company, it is a member of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) and registered travel agency in Japan, so it can restart small group tours.
More: Japan to open to international tourists on June 10
King added: “We need time to organise our award-winning group tours to enable them to run smoothly at the high level expected of them, so we will be running our first tours from July onwards.
“Whilst we welcome every step closer to restriction-free travel, we look forward to being able to plan trips for the majority of our customers who travel on tailored self-guided cultural adventures and it feels like that will come soon.
“We call again to the Japanese government to publish a roadmap to reopening so that we and our customers can start planning for travel again.”
The 10-night HyperJapan J-pop & Go! tours will depart on July 2 and July 23, and the 13-night Japan Unmasked tour will leave on July 18.
HyperJapan J-pop & Go! costs from £2,800 while the Japan Unmasked tour costs from £2,610. Both prices exclude international flights.
InsideJapan will also be able to run its high-end fully escorted Exclusive Private Journeys.
• Meanwhile, Wendy Wu, founder of Japan specialist Wendy Wu Tours, said the reopening from June 10 was “fantastic news for the travel industry”.
She added: “We have been working hand in hand with the Japanese government and national tourist board to prepare for the reopening and so it’s so exciting to finally welcome back visitors and reignite Japan’s place on the global tourism stage.
“Demand, particularly for tours in March and April 2023, is quite literally ‘through the roof’, so much so that we’ve added extra capacity for 2023 and 2024, which is selling out as quick as it goes on sale.”
Pictured: Matsumoto Castle, featured on the Japan Unmasked tour from InsideJapan