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Japanese travel agency HIS Co. says it plans to resume package holidays to Hawaii starting from May 1 departures, the first time it has operated such tours to one of Japan’s favorite destinations since halting them in March 2020 amid pandemic restrictions on travel.
Japan decided earlier this month to lift its cap on international arrivals to 10,000 per day and has opened its doors to businesspeople and students as it gradually eases restrictions, although entry of foreign tourists remains effectively banned.
HIS has posted eight consecutive quarterly net losses as it grappled with COVID-19’s impact on its business. It was also hit by a scandal in which its subsidiaries misused government subsidies intended to boost domestic travel, distracting it from efforts to secure liquidity and cut risks to weather the crisis.
The Tokyo-based company says its tours will offer customer support “from pre-departure to return home,” including arranging PCR tests and a 24-hour Japanese language support line in Hawaii.