Foreign tourists who aren’t traveling as part of group tours will soon be able to come to Japan under eased tourism restrictions — as long as they book flights and accommodation through a travel agency, a government official in charge said Thursday.

“The key is to have a sponsor in Japan, like a travel agency, and that they know the whereabouts of the traveler on a given day,” the official said, who asked not to be named in line with ministry guidelines. “They will also offer information on Japan’s social distancing rules and be the contact person if travelers get sick.”

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that nonescorted visitors on package tours will be allowed in from Sept. 7. That would include more flexible tours that only include flights and hotels and can be booked by individuals, the official said, in contrast with the strict group tours that have been permitted since June.

With the eased restrictions, the only tourists who won’t be allowed will be those who want to stay in accommodations not offered by travel agencies in their “package tours,” such as private rentals and smaller inns, as well as backpackers who don’t want to book hotels beforehand.