Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Japanese travel agency HIS has resumed Umrah tours from Japan to Saudi Arabia, starting today (June 29).
According to HIS, in the past two years, there have been many calls for the resumption of Umrah tours.
The Umrah Planning Manager at the Global Business Division of HIS told Arab News Japan, “We have received many inquiries and reservations after we announced the resumption of the tour. The departure in October was sold out immediately, and we are currently considering whether we can increase the number of seats.”
“We are happy we can finally give this news to our customers, many of whom had to give up their pilgrimage due to the corona disaster. We will do our best as a travel agency to ensure that as many customers as possible can participate without anxiety.”
It costs about 250,000 yen for a 10-day trip, departing from Narita Airport. This includes three nights in Medina and four nights in Mecca, including sightseeing, breakfast, the Umrah visa, and a tour guide.
In Saudi Arabia, the increase in the number of pilgrims was mentioned in the “Vision 2030” economic reform initiative announced by Crown Prince Mohammed in April 2016. However, due to the spread of the coronavirus worldwide, Umrah, which had been accepted throughout the year, was suspended in March 2020.
The Japanese government has recently increased the number of inbound tourists and the movement toward overseas travel from Japan is also becoming more active.