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Japan confirms 10 June as reopening date for package tours

Japan will allow foreign tourists on package tours from June 10, reopening tourism, suspended for more than two years after the pandemic gripped the globe.

Japan will allow foreign tourists on package tours from June 10, reopening tourism, suspended for more than two years after the pandemic gripped the globe.

Another piece of the Japan tourism puzzle has been put in place, with the latest announcement from the Japanese Prime minister.

Ahead of the previously announced doubling of daily entries from June 1st and with the ‘test tours’ currently taking place in Japan, it has been announced that from June 10th, Japan will open to foreign tourists, initially limited to guided group tours, into the country.  

“We will resume accepting tourists on package tours with guides from the 10th of next month,” Kishida said in Tokyo.

Japan Culture JNTO
Kyoto, Japan

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the restrictions would be eased for small tourist groups from four countries as a pilot.

“Step by step we will welcome tourists like normal times, taking into consideration the status of infections.”

The easing of restrictions will apply to those from a list of low-risk countries based on the COVID-19 situation, a foreign ministry statement said.

japan-mt-fuji
Mt Fuji, Japan

Japan closed its borders to overseas visitors since the pandemic began in 2020.

Until a few months ago, it had also prohibited the entry of people with the new student, work, or business visas to prevent the coronavirus spread.

In March, the government announced it would begin to ease restrictions amid declining infections both in Japan and globally.

Kishida said the strict measure was “necessary for us to ensure that our medical system was on sound footing and provided time to administer vaccinations.”

“However, from now on, we will further relax our border measures,” he said at an event organised by the Japanese newspaper Nikkei.

Simon King, the co-founder Japan travel specialist, InsideJapan said, “We welcome yet another step in the right direction for tourism and look forward to showcasing Japan again on our small group tours this summer onwards.”

Currently, 10,000 travellers are allowed to enter the country daily. This limit will be increased to 20,000 in June.

Source: AAP