Japan travel specialists, InsideJapan declare this year as likely to equal the busiest ever and the start of things to come.   Having closed its international borders for two-and-a-half years and no travel, Japan seems to have begun post-pandemic life, where it left off, after a hugely popular 2019 and InsideJapan’s biggest ever year of travel.   Japan’s cherry blossom season has always been the most popular time of year for travel to the Land of the Rising Sun with people looking to experience the country looking pretty in pink. This year was the first since spring 2019 that international travellers have been allowed into Japan to enjoy ‘Hanami’ season and it didn’t disappoint.   “Despite some difficulties around flight availability and some services, and the decision to halt new bookings for travel between April-June, back in late February 2023, this year has equalled InsideJapan’s busiest ever blossom season and approximately 30% of those sales have been through our agent partners, said Inside Travel Group’s Head of Sales, Vivienne Boyack.   InsideJapan carried around 2,000 passengers on a combination of Self-Guided Adventures and Small Group Tours during the peak blossom period which happens mid-March into early April.   “It felt that Japan was more popular than ever this year as certain places in Tokyo and Kyoto were very busy with what seemed to be mainly international tourists, said Japan-based Head of Operations, Tyler Palma.   Japan is on many travel wish lists these days, but there are only few places that are on the tourist trail – The so called, ‘Golden Route’ of Tokyo, Hakone national park and Kyoto.   Palma added, “Spring really is a beautiful time of year, but places such as Kyoto were really very busy. However, we are fortunate that we are our own DMC and we are free to move well away from the crowds and the guide books to ensure that the Japan experience remains special”.   But Japan’s popularity doesn’t stop in spring. The tour operator is seeing an increasing amount of adventurous family travel bookings for the summer. Japan’s second most popular travel season is autumn, for its impressive display of red leaves that cover mountainsides and temple gardens during this clement season.   Boyack said, “Bookings for travel in October are already forecast to exceed that of 2019 which was a Rugby World Cup year that saw record figures for InsideJapan. However, the most impressive ‘Koyo’ autumn leaves are usually captured from November into early December even.   Boyack continued, “We are very confident that Japan’s popularity is not going to be a short-lived trend as spring timed small group tours and Self-Guided Adventures are already selling for 2024 and beyond. We want to be able to give incredible trips and the best service that we have become known for and want to encourage all agent partners to start having the ‘Japan in cherry blossom’ conversations with their customers as soon as possible to ensure that we can help give them the best trip possible”.   InsideJapan is already selling Self-Guided Adventures for cherry blossom and autumn seasons 2024. The award-winning Japan specialist has also launched a full schedule of 2024 Small Group Tours which include cherry blossom season timed trips and a brand-new superior ‘Majestic Japan’ tour.

  Japan has finally announced the removal of all its pandemic border restrictions which will come into effect on October 11th. The latest announcement removes the daily entry cap and the requirement for travellers to apply for tourist visas.   The move comes just a few weeks after previous Japanese government announcements which have since been criticised by some for not doing enough. The easing of restriction comes in an attempt to fully open to international tourism in time for the ‘Koyo’ autumn leaf season and to aid a flagging Japanese economy.   Japan travel specialist, InsideJapan was one of the first western tour operators to get travellers back into the country on small group tours in early summer and from September, the company has been organising its Self-Guided cultural adventures across Japan once again.   Inside Travel Group and InsideJapan Tours’ Co-founder, Simon King said, “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,” The new rules mean that travellers from ‘Blue’ countries such as the UK, US and Australia can now enter the country and be given a visa on arrival. Triple vaccinated travellers do not need to test before they travel, nor on arrival but unvaccinated travellers, will still need to provide proof of a negative test before they depart.   King said, “Despite being one of the last few countries in the world to keep restrictions in place and the impression that may give, Japan really is very keen to welcome visitors again. Our recent customer feedback has shown that the welcome they received from ryokan owners, restauranteurs and locals alike has been incredible. Japan really does not disappoint.”   InsideJapan saw a huge increase in enquiries and bookings after the previous announcements back in late August, with tour bookings exceeding the same month in 2019. Web traffic also saw an impressive 250% increase on August 2019 levels.   King added, “Demand for our cultural adventures has been huge, and despite the easing of restrictions, we do not expect that to change for both our Self-Guided trips or Small Group Tours as people look to make the most out of their time in Japan and are reassured by our on-the-ground the support should they need it. The removal of the visa process also frees up the equivalent of at least two full-time roles and allows us to do what we do best – creating incredible trips to this amazing place.”   InsideJapan’s 2023 brochure is available to download from their website, which also showcases the 2023 Small Group Tours schedule as well as a selection of sustainable Self-Guided cultural adventures including the 14 night, ‘Best of Japan’ costing from £1,950pp (excluding international flights).