The Asia specialist will operate an 11-day Jewels of Japan tour, departing on 26 July, and has added capacity to its autumn 2022 and spring 2023 tours. It comes after Japan recently confirmed it was ready to reopen its borders to UK tourist groups from Friday (10 June).

"This important milestone on Friday represents one of the final, and one of the most eagerly anticipated, re-openings for international travel," said the operator, adding the upcoming departures followed 18 months’ close consultation and work with the Japanese government and Japanese National Tourism Office.

Jewels of Japan is fully inclusive and leads in from £5,690pp. To celebrate Japan’s reopening, Wendy Wu Tours is offering free flights to Japan and half-price flight single supplements on the tour, as well as on selected tours across its Japan programme, when booked by 30 June, representing savings of up to £800 per couple.

The operator said it was anticipating "exceptional demand", confirming it has added additional capacity for tours departing during autumn 2022, and during March and April 2023.

Founder Wendy Wu said it was an opportunity to be one of the very first travellers to return to Japan. “We’ve been given the green light by the Japanese government to resume group touring and have taken the unprecedented step of adding an extra tour date in July to meet the huge demand for travel," she said.

"Our agents and customers have been calling out for a tour date, and an opportunity to travel to Japan, as soon as possible, and hence we are so excited to fulfil this with this July tour.

“Our customers will be among the first to visit Japan and to experience the magic of the new Japan at its best. With fewer crowds in July, it is the perfect time to travel and experience this spectacular country.

"Having not had any tour groups for so long, the warmth and hospitality our customers will receive this July will be second to none."