More than one-third of Aussies (38%) indicated they were interested in travelling to Japan in the next six months once travel restrictions are lifted in October, according to the latest Skyscanner research.
Japan announced it would remove all border restrictions on 11 October 2022, including the daily arrivals cap and visa requirements for international travellers.
Individual visitors will be allowed to enter the country and Japan will reinstate visa waivers, allowing travellers from countries such as Australia, the UK and the US to receive a visa on arrival.
Triple-vaccinated travellers do not need to test before travelling or on arrival however, unvaccinated travellers will still need to provide proof of a negative test before departure.
Mask-wearing is still commonplace in Japan and expected, as is social distancing, particularly in crowded spaces such as airports, restaurants, attractions and public transport.
Following the news that Japan would ease PCR testing restrictions for travellers in August, Skyscanner saw flight searches to the country from Australia soar to a 27 per cent week-on-week increase.
InsideJapan also had a massive increase in enquiries and bookings in August with tour bookings exceeding 2019 numbers. Web traffic also saw an impressive 250 per cent increase on August 2019.
The most-searched destinations are Tokyo and Osaka travel in 2022 with October – the month of reopening – attracting the highest number of searches.
The visa-free travel comes at the perfect time for Aussies looking to return to a much-loved destination with peak ski season between December to April.
InsideJapan Co-Founder Simon King said the tour company welcomed the removal of visa requirements to allow Australians to confidently travel to Japan.
“After two and a half years of various restrictions, Japan is now fully open to tourists without the hassle of visas. For our customers and agents, this removes the final barrier to travel and any uncertainty around travel, allowing them to plan and look forward to their trips,” he said.
“The removal of the visa requirement marks the final stage of Japan’s reopening and will bring reassurance to thousands of Aussies who have trips partially planned for the upcoming ski season and cherry blossom time next year.
“And for travel agents it will remove a major headache, allowing them to book the style of trip that is right for each client.”
For more info, visit japan.travel
