Japanese city considers dual pricing on public transport to tackle overtourism

Telegraph

15-02-2025

The scenic ancient capital of Japan is considering the nation's first dual-pricing system on buses in a bid to tackle a booming influx of foreign visitors.
Kyoto, long famed for its centuries-old temples, shrines and tea rooms, is experiencing an influx of arrivals, fuelled by a weak yen and the lifting of post-pandemic travel restrictions.
Koji Matsui, the mayor of Kyoto, said he is exploring the idea of introducing a dual-pricing system on city-operated buses – which would involve tourists paying a higher bus fare compared to residents.
In 2023, the city of 1.5 million people welcomed seven million tourists from overseas, igniting concerns over the impact on local life.
Kyoto city officials are currently seeking government support to change regulations, enabling the introduction of a dual-pricing bus system, which would help raise funds to tackle overtourism and preserve cultural sites.
Initiatives already under way include a planned accommodation tax rise for stays in Kyoto hotels and the distribution of 'mind-your-manners' leaflets, aiming to educate overseas tourists about the cultural sensitivities of their behaviour.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, in a tatami mat tea room inside Kyoto City Hall, Mr Matsui said: 'We are considering changing bus fares between residents and non-residents, asking non-residents to pay a slightly higher fare.
'The purpose of this would be to use it as a financial resource to help ease congestion and preserve Kyoto's beautiful cultural cityscape.
'By also having tourists share the burden, we want residents to recognise that, thanks to tourists visiting, their daily lives have become more convenient, or the cityscape has been better preserved. This is an effort to balance daily life and tourism, and we plan to propose it to the city council as part of a roughly two-year plan.'
Japan is experiencing a record influx of tourists. More than 36 million people visited from overseas in 2024, with spending surpassing 8 trillion yen (£46 billion) for the first time, according to recent government figures.
A number of regions in Japan are exploring measures to counter overtourism issues, including Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, which has proposed raising the entrance fee to its historic castle for non-residents.
The dual-pricing trend is under way elsewhere. Paris officials recently announced plans to introduce dual pricing for non-EU visitors to Le Louvre, one of the city's most popular cultural attractions.
Dual pricing is also in place in many sites across India, including the Taj Mahal, with different entry costs for locals and tourists.
In Kyoto, dual pricing is one of a spectrum of initiatives being explored by government officials, who are keen to welcome tourists to their culture-rich city, while also preserving its heritage and minimising disruption to daily life.
Last summer, Kyoto launched tourist-only buses with routes to popular sites, in an attempt to relieve pressure on city-operated bus routes.
Other problems facing Kyoto include littering and congested transport, according to Mr Matsui.
'In busy areas, some local residents are unable to travel on city-operated buses because they're so crowded,' he said. 'Some buses are used by residents and students and people who need to get to hospital – as well as lots of tourists.
'We think it can be useful to separate local residents from tourists – so local residents can use city-operated buses for their own purpose, and tourists can ride on limited express buses to famous sightseeing spots.'
Cultural sensitivities were also an important factor. The mayor listed a string of examples of bad behaviour among overseas tourists, including eating in the streets, making loud noises in sacred shrines, chasing geisha down the street to take photographs and entering tea rooms without reservations.
'There is a cultural gap in the mentality of Kyoto residents and overseas visitors,' he said. 'A good example of this is eating while walking down the streets, which is not really polite in Japan.' He added: 'Sometimes this is hard for local residents. We have a responsibility to help tourists understand this.'
The mayor was also keen to highlight how overtourism was pinpointed in certain spots – such as centuries-old Kiyomizu-dera Temple or the bamboo forests in Arashiyama – while other areas of the city were relatively quiet.
The geographical make-up of Kyoto – which is wrapped in a circle of mountains, with numerous narrow historic streets at its centre – also makes the small city sensitive to high volumes of tourism crowds.
Mr Matsui added that tourists would always be very welcome in the city, while highlighting his commitment as mayor to ensure that the daily lives of residents were protected.
'The entire city is not suffering from overtourism,' he said. 'And people are not strongly anti-tourist. But there are around 50 million tourists here a year [including both Japanese and overseas tourist visits] – compared to a 1.5 million population of residents, who are paying taxes. They have some expectations that the city of Kyoto will do what it can to make sure they can live here quietly and calmly.'