Reports suggest eligible travellers who book through a travel advisor might soon be able to visit the country, which is welcome news for Aussies and agents as the nation winds back more stringent entry requirements ahead of the winter ski season.
Pre-departure PCR tests to enter Japan will be dropped from early September, which is a fantastic step to allow more visitors back into the country.
Reports also note that the daily limit on international tourists might be raised to 50,000 people from as soon as September as well, up from 20,000.
Travellers to Japan currently still need to submit negative results from a PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.
Previously, overseas tourists from 98 countries, including Australia, were allowed entry into Japan on fully escorted group tours with set itineraries run by licensed Japanese tour operators only, according to guidelines set by Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) in June.
Collette and Wendy Wu Tours reported “overwhelming demand” when Japan reopened to tour groups.
The associated travel restrictions, including mandatory mask-wearing, temperature checks, limited free movement on group tours and entry testing requirements, have made it difficult to attract visitors back to Japan.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), the nation welcomed just 250,000 visitors in 2021, down from almost 32 million in 2019.
Pre-pandemic, Japan was the world’s third-largest tourism market after the US and China, contributing USD$359 billion to the country’s GDP and airlines, hotels and travel operators are keen to recoup their COVID-19 losses.
Japan is one of the last nations with restrictive entry requirements as countries such as the UK, US, Canada, Singapore and others have few if any restrictions, allowing them to kick-start their tourism economies again.
Via AAP
