Chinese travelers on a group tour have arrived in Japan for the first time in about three and a half years after Beijing lifted a ban on group tours.

Chinese authorities implemented the measure in January 2020 to help contain the coronavirus pandemic. China resumed group tours to overseas destinations in stages starting in February this year.

Chinese group tours can now visit a total of 138 countries and regions. Japan was among 78 countries and regions exempted from the ban on August 10.

The first group took off from Guangzhou and arrived at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture on Friday.

One tourist looked forward to visiting Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, and enjoying Japanese foods such as beef and sushi.

A first-timer in Japan who has been looking forward to the trip said the pandemic lasted a long time but more Chinese travelers are likely to visit Japan from now on.

The tour organizer said inquiries on group tours to Japan are increasing ahead of a long holiday period in China that starts in late September.

The number of travelers on international flights at Kansai International Airport topped 1.35 million in June. That's 70 percent of the figure for the same period in 2019 before the pandemic. Japan hopes that inbound tourism will grow further with the lifting of the group tour ban.