After Japan announced it will reopen to Aussie travellers for self-guided travel on 7 September, sky-high interest from keen holidaymakers has prompted an 18 per cent increase in flight searches to the country, according to Skyscanner.
A 21 per cent spike in daily searches for travel from Australia to Japan in the next six months followed the previous PCR testing requirement removal announcement.
The travel search engine also revealed that October is the top-searched month for travel to Japan with Aussies keen to get back ASAP after restrictions are lifted with Tokyo and Osaka representing the most popular searched destinations in Japan for those keen to travel in 2022.
A perennially popular year-round destination for Aussies, demand for Japan is being driven by Korea, followed by Australia, the UK and the US. In 2019, Japan was the fourth-highest searched international destination in Australia through Skyscanner.
The Japanese government has confirmed plans to increase its daily entry cap on arrivals to 50,000 visitors and allow travel without the requirement of a guide or an escort from 7 September 2022.
There’s no formal update on whether there will still be a requirement to obtain a visa in advance or if trips must be booked with a licensed tour operator with clarification expected imminently.
It’s also not clear what criteria will be used to determine what constitutes a ‘package tour or trip’.
Current COVID-19 travel advice for Japan includes wearing face masks in airports and crowded locations and using social distancing measures where possible on public transport and at restaurants and tourist attractions.
To find out more, head to japan.travel
