Four additional 18-day, fully-inclusive Best of Japan tours will depart next March journeying from Tokyo to Mt Fuji and its five lakes, and onwards to Takayama and Kanazawa.

The tour then continues to Kyoto and onwards via Hiroshima and Nara to Osaka where it culminates. Prices lead in from £8,865pp. Bookings made by 30 November will qualify for an up to £125pp autumn sale saving.

Wendy Wu head of trade sales Gary King said the operator went "all out" to secure extra departures. "Cherry blossom 2024 was quite literally sold-out until now," said King.

"We’ve seen unprecedented demand for the floral spectacular, with departures selling out as soon as going on sale, leaving so many agents, and their customers, disappointed. We just couldn’t stand by and let this happen so... [we] went all out to secure as much ‘very limited’ space as we could."

King said the operator’s product team took immediate action, flying over to Japan and travelling the length of the country to secure the necessary capacity, "pulling off the extraordinary".

"We are so pleased to now be in this extremely fortunate position where we can fulfil the needs of our agent partners," King continued.

"However, agents have got to move fast as these new departures are likely to sell out in record time and then that will be it, cherry blossom 2024 will be officially sold out,” King added.