Japan is getting ready to reopen to independent travelers and lift daily arrival cap. Starting Oct. 11, after nearly 2.5 years of strict COVID-19 restrictions, the destination will allow individual international travelers.
“Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the U.S., as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday while attending the UN General Assembly meeting.
Travelers Return to Japan After 2.5 Year Hiatus
The announcement prompted travelers to start looking into travel to the destination, with Melissa DaSilva, president of TTC Tour Brands North America, noting in a press release statement, that “Our guests are eager to get back to Japan and we’re thrilled to take them there. We’ve seen a rush to book with several of our itineraries selling quickly for 2022 and 2023.It’s encouraging to see yet another highly sought-after location become accessible to travelers once again.”
Trafalgar offers two itineraries to the destination—Splendors of Japan and Classic Japan—while Contiki offers three Japanese itineraries for its 18- to 35-year-old guests: Japan in a Week; Japan Winter Wonder; and Japan Unrivalled. For luxury clients, recommend Luxury Gold’s 11-day Majestic Japan itinerary. For more information, visit trafalgar.com; contiki.com; luxurygold.com.
For clients who want to explore Tokyo with a side of glamour, recommend Park Hyatt Tokyo, which had a starring role in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation movie. It’s located in the buzzing Shinjuku neighborhood, the area often called the Times Square of Tokyo due to its 24/7 energy, skyscrapers and flashy billboards. The hotel’s New York Bar is a must-visit to recreate some of the movie’s iconic scenes, and to sip on cocktails or do a Japanese whiskey tasting, all to the tune of live jazz. The 177-room Park Hyatt Tokyo offers the the largest guestrooms in Tokyo, and for F&B, there are five restaurants, two bars and a patisserie. When it comes to wellbeing, the Club on the Park spa is located on the hotel’s 45th and 47th floors, featuring a pyramidal glass and floor-to-ceiling glass walls with stunning views of the city.
