The new rules for tourists in Japan's crackdown on unpaid medical bills
Japan is planning to tighten immigration rules to address the issue of foreign tourists leaving without paying their medical bills.
The new policy may require tourists to obtain private medical insurance and allow immigration authorities to screen visitors for a history of unpaid bills.
The government's upcoming annual economic and fiscal policy review will address insurance coverage for foreign visitors.
A survey of 5,500 medical institutions in Japan found that 0.8 per cent of foreign visitors did not pay their medical bills in September 2024, resulting in approximately 61.35m Yen (£316,000) in unpaid costs.
A survey by the Japan Tourism Agency in 2024 found that nearly 30 per cent of visitors did not have insurance while in Japan.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Lebanon aims to lure back wealthy Gulf tourists to jumpstart its war-torn economy
Fireworks lit up the night sky over Beirut's famous St. Georges Hotel as hit songs from the 1960s and 70s filled the air in a courtyard overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The retro-themed event was hosted last month by Lebanon's Tourism Ministry to promote the upcoming summer season and perhaps recapture some of the good vibes from an era viewed as a golden one for the country. In the years before a civil war began in 1975, Lebanon was the go-to destination for wealthy tourists from neighboring Gulf countries seeking beaches in summer, snow-capped mountains in winter and urban nightlife year-round. In the decade after the war, tourists from Gulf countries – and crucially, Saudi Arabia – came back, and so did Lebanon's economy. But by the early 2000s, as the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah gained power, Lebanon's relations with Gulf countries began to sour. Tourism gradually dried up, starving its economy of billions of dollars in annual spending. Now, after last year's bruising war with Israel, Hezbollah is much weaker and Lebanon's new political leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the economy once again with help from wealthy neighbors. They aim to disarm Hezbollah and rekindle ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which in recent years have prohibited their citizens from visiting Lebanon or importing its products. 'Tourism is a big catalyst, and so it's very important that the bans get lifted,' said Laura Khazen Lahoud, the country's tourism minister. On the highway leading to the Beirut airport, once-ubiquitous banners touting Hezbollah's leadership have been replaced with commercial billboards and posters that read 'a new era for Lebanon.' In the center of Beirut, and especially in neighborhoods that hope to attract tourists, political posters are coming down, and police and army patrols are on the rise. There are signs of thawing relations with some Gulf neighbors. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have lifted yearslong travel bans. All eyes are now on Saudi Arabia, a regional political and economic powerhouse, to see if it will follow suit, according to Lahoud and other Lebanese officials. A key sticking point is security, these officials say. Although a ceasefire with Israel has been in place since November, near-daily airstrikes have continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah over the years had built its political base and powerful military arsenal. Tourism as a diplomatic and economic bridge As vital as tourism is — it accounted for almost 20% of Lebanon's economy before it tanked in 2019 — the country's leaders say it is just one piece of a larger puzzle they are trying to put back together. Lebanon's agricultural and industrial sectors are in shambles, suffering a major blow in 2021, when Saudi Arabia banned their exports after accusing Hezbollah of smuggling drugs into Riyadh. Years of economic dysfunction have left the country's once-thriving middle class in a state of desperation. The World Bank says poverty nearly tripled in Lebanon over the past decade, affecting close to half its population of nearly 6 million. To make matters worse, inflation is soaring, with the Lebanese pound losing 90% of its value, and many families lost their savings when banks collapsed. Tourism is seen by Lebanon's leaders as the best way to kickstart the reconciliation needed with Gulf countries -- and only then can they move on to exports and other economic growth opportunities. 'It's the thing that makes most sense, because that's all Lebanon can sell now,' said Sami Zoughaib, research manager at The Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based think tank. With summer still weeks away, flights to Lebanon are already packed with expats and locals from countries that overturned their travel bans, and hotels say bookings have been brisk. At the event hosted last month by the tourism ministry, the owner of the St. Georges Hotel, Fady El-Khoury, beamed. The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon's ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars. 'I have a feeling that the country is coming back after 50 years,' he said. On a recent weekend, as people crammed the beaches of the northern city of Batroun, and jet skis whizzed along the Mediterranean, local business people sounded optimistic that the country was on the right path. 'We are happy, and everyone here is happy,' said Jad Nasr, co-owner of a private beach club. 'After years of being boycotted by the Arabs and our brothers in the Gulf, we expect this year for us to always be full.' Still, tourism is not a panacea for Lebanon's economy, which for decades has suffered from rampant corruption and waste. Lebanon has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund for years over a recovery plan that would include billions in loans and require the country to combat corruption, restructure its banks, and bring improvements to a range of public services, including electricity and water. Without those and other reforms, Lebanon's wealthy neighbors will lack confidence to invest there, experts said. A tourism boom alone would serve as a 'morphine shot that would only temporarily ease the pain" rather than stop the deepening poverty in Lebanon, Zoughaib said. The tourism minister, Lahoud, agreed, saying a long-term process has only just begun. "But we're talking about subjects we never talked about before,' she said. 'And I think the whole country has realized that war doesn't serve anyone, and that we really need our economy to be back and flourish again.'
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Visiting this charming Norfolk seaside town feels like stepping into another century
I stepped off the train and into, it seemed, a former century. Sheringham is the terminus of the mainline from Norwich but, on the other side of Station Road, on another set of tracks, the steam locomotives of the Poppy Line clank and exhale, waiting to take trippers further along the coast. It was the arrival of the railway in 1887 that transformed this small fishing town. The poet and theatre critic Clement Scott wrote of the rail-accessible joys of North Norfolk for The Telegraph (coining the term 'Poppyland'), and holidaymakers began to flock in, creating such demand that fishing families would rent out their homes (sound familiar?). Now, the heritage railway is one of Sheringham's biggest draws. But it wasn't the only thing generating vintage vibes. Red, white and blue bunting flapped in the North Sea breeze, strung along a bygone-era high street: greengrocers, butchers, bakers, a model railway emporium, and an ironmongers dating back to 1897. Every September, Sheringham holds a 1940s Weekend, with themed window displays, classic cars and period music. But it was looking pretty throwback even on a regular Tuesday. 'It is a bit like going back in time,' one local told me. 'Whether you think that's good or bad – well, that's a personal preference.' What's it really like? As seaside resorts go, Sheringham is pretty low-key. There are a couple of arcades, ice creameries a-plenty, a toyshop that's sold buckets-n-spades since 1912. Sheringham Museum is filled with lifeboats and local history and a gallery of 200 shell sculptures, if things made from shells are your thing. Best is the big Blue Flag beach, backed by some of the county's highest cliffs; Norfolk's zenith, 103m (!) Beacon Hill, is nearby. The beach itself is lovely, when it's there – at high tide the sand is swallowed completely For all its nostalgic charm, Sheringham is actually pleasingly real, having managed to remain itself in the face of surrounding forces. It doesn't have the social issues that plague Great Yarmouth, 40 miles south. But nor is it as expensively gentrified as spots like Burnham Market (aka 'Chelsea-on-Sea'), 20 miles west – though local house prices reflect its proximity. Sheringham's identity has been tested. Long holding out as a bastion of independents, the town finally caved to Tesco in 2013, after a 17-year planning battle. However, the supermarket hasn't affected trade as much as feared: it's close to the centre, with parking – it may have actually brought more people in. More recently, a surge of young entrepreneurs has shaken things up. One of them is Ben Stubbs, who grew up in Sheringham and runs Stubby's, a 'chef-led' pizzeria where toppings include vodka sausage and black pudding. ' The Gangway bar opened around the same time as us,' Ben told me. 'Before, there were just pubs and fish and chips. Suddenly there was pizza and cocktails!' Gentrification, Sheringham style. What's not to like? Honestly, not a lot. The town's elderly-leaning demographic means you're unlikely to find much to do beyond 8.30pm, but that's probably not why you're here. And there's no headline-grabbing destination hotel or Michelin-starry restaurant – yet. Sheringham isn't perfect. But unlike the boarded-up shops and dwindling investment experienced in many coastal communities, it seems positively vibrant. District Councillor Liz Withington believes it may just offer the blueprint for other such towns looking to revive their fortunes. Liz moved here in 1994 but has lived all over, including Marbella – and sees similarities. 'It's the same with many seaside towns – rammed in summer, back to community in winter,' Liz said. 'We've got it right because we've maintained that sense of community.' There are concerns about preserving Sheringham's retail diversity as takeaway outlets increase. The current beef is with a pizza chain that's trying to move in. The council has objected, the chain has appealed. 'High streets are supposed to be about 30 per cent hot-food takeaways; Sheringham is over 40 per cent already,' Ben explained. 'If the appeal is overturned, where does it end? It could be the first Domino to fall, pardon the pun… Small towns are delicate little ecosystems. They need to be nurtured and protected.' Do this… Definitely ride the Poppy Line, which takes 25 minutes to huff from Sheringham to the pretty market town of Holt. After that, head to the Little Theatre. Seating just 160, and almost entirely run by volunteers, it's small but mighty. In 2024, actress Suranne Jones – who has a holiday home nearby – became President. 'She'd started to come quite regularly,' explained Debbie Thompson, the Little's director. 'She loved that it was a true community theatre and wanted to be involved.' Jones hosts workshops and helps promote the theatre's varied programme, which includes a traditional summer rep season, music, comedy and more. Eat this… Crab. Cromer, five miles east, has sown up the marketing, but Norfolk's famed crustaceans come from Sheringham too. In CA Seafoods you can buy them neatly dressed; it also has a 150-year-old smokehouse where they hot and cold smoke all sorts of fish. However, I ate at Camellia Cottage, a postcard-pretty, brick-and-flint cafe by the clock tower. It was heaving, both inside and out in the courtyard garden. I ordered the crab sandwich and had a tense wait while the server checked with the kitchen, and nabbed the last one of the day. Steep at £12, but a local treat. But don't do this… The ancient Cromer Shoals Chalk Bed – nicknamed 'Britain's Great Barrier Reef' – is the longest in the world, and lies only a stone's skim offshore. The 46-metre-long Sheringham Snorkel Trail, which follows a disused Victorian sewage pipe, leads out to this unexpectedly colourful underwater world that teems with crab, lobsters, fish, rare sponges and anemones. But in order to experience it, you need a long period of calm to cause the North Sea's sediment to drop and turn the water clear blue – which happens for about five or six days a year. Unless you get lucky, perhaps go stand-up paddle boarding with SUP Shack instead. From a local 'Shops come and go, restaurants change – but not a lot. That's the charm of it. Sheringham is expanding out, with new houses, but the core has remained the same. It's a great little town where everyone looks out for each other.' – Chris Taylor, Sheringham-born photographer, lifeboatman and shanty-man. From a tourist 'We've made a day-trip. My mum recommended the steam train, and it fully lived up to expectations. Quite slow but nice views and friendly staff. We like the museum. Now we're going to walk the seafront and get fish and chips from the shop with the longest queue.' – Sarah Wilson and Carl King from Lincolnshire Get there Sheringham is an hour by train from Norwich, at the end of the Bittern Line, which also stops at Cromer and Hoveton & Wroxham (a jumping-off point for the Broads). The Coasthopper Bus connects Wells-next-the-Sea and Cromer, via Sheringham. For more information, see Visit North Norfolk and Experience Sheringham. Stay at Burlington Berties (01263 821500) has B&B doubles from £320 for two nights.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Who drank all the matcha? How tourism drained a Japanese town
In Uji, Japan's historic matcha capital, demand for premium green tea is outpacing supply. As tourists scramble for tins, locals fear that tradition may be getting diluted. 10:00 is an important time in Uji, Japan. It's when the matcha shops open. The town is just a half hour train ride from Kyoto and is world-renowned for matcha, the pulverised green tea traditionally frothed with hot water. Just before the hour, I stroll off the subway and head straight to nearby Nakamura Tokichi Honten; once the supplier of tea to the emperor and now arguably the most prestigious matcha purveyor in Japan. I've heard securing a table at their cafe can be difficult, so I grow nervous as two girls scamper ahead of me. The cafe hasn't officially opened yet, so I grab a numbered ticket to reserve a spot. Somehow there are already 35 people ahead of me in line. While I wait, I stroll through the shop and browse the many matcha products lining the shelves – ice creams, confections, even matcha-infused noodles. But I'm looking for some of the actual stuff: matcha powder. I notice a lady with a basket full of green tins, and a commotion breaks out in the corner. A diminutive Japanese store worker tries to restock a shelf, but she barely places a tin down before it is eagerly snatched up in the throng of tourists. She is swarmed on all sides by grabby arms, and some people even reach directly into her basket to snag canisters of the precious powder. She yells out in Japanese, but her message is lost on the foreign ears surrounding her. Realising these are the few matcha tins left in the shop, I reach into the crowd to wrap my fingers around a white canister. Someone grabs my hand, then grunts and lets go. A second later, a tall woman with an American accent yells out, "It's gone. All the matcha's gone." My guess is that it's not past 10:05. I join the queue to pay for my 30g tin, not knowing exactly what I've grabbed or how much it costs. I surmise that I didn't get the more potent of matchas, as others have tins of varying shades of green. I watch enviously as a man in the front of the line has 30 or so tins sealed in a tax-free plastic bag. In a German accent he says, "I can't believe I just spent 250 euros on tea." He seems proud. Unlike many of the other prestigious tea purveyors in Uji, Nakamura Tokichi has not imposed a limit on the number of matcha tins visitors can buy. I spend the rest of the morning wandering around town, picking up whatever is still available here and there. Tsujirihei Honten, another prestigious brand established in 1860, advertises 20 or so types of matcha, but only has three or four varieties on offer. Even with a purchase limit, most of the stores in Uji, the matcha capital of the world, are sold out. Rich with antioxidants and with a more tempered caffeine boost, matcha has seen skyrocketing demand around the world. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reports that 4,176 tons of matcha were produced in 2023, a threefold increase since 2010. Ballooning in parallel is Japan's tourism industry: 2024 saw nearly 37 million tourists, a record high. Market reports show that the beverage's popularity is largely attributed to its health benefits, and the grinch-green drinks and desserts also play well on social media. There's no singular grading system for matcha, but many shops will broadly categorise their powders as ceremonial, premium or culinary. Ceremonial matchas are typically made from the newest leaves of the season and are valued for their rich, almost umami flavour, with no bitterness. On the other end of the matcha-tasting spectrum is culinary matcha, which tends to be coarser and has a slight bitter taste – better suited for saccharine confections. Falling in between the two are premium or daily use grades, which are versatile in use. Tomomi Hisaki, general manager at the Tsujirihei flagship store, says that international visitors have a particular proclivity for top-grade ceremonial matchas and often buy stashes in bulk. But she says supply cannot keep up with demand. "High-grade Uji matcha is not something that can be mass-produced in the first place," she says. For one, tea leaves destined for ceremonial matcha are grown in the shade, as the darkness produces a richer, more umami and astringent flavour. "However, if you cover it, it will not be able to photosynthesize, so it will not grow, and the harvest will be small," she says. Another bottleneck in production, Hisaki explains, is the traditional stone mills. These mills produce a particularly fine powder, but each mill can only yield about 400g of tea after eight hours – enough for 13 tins. Matcha production could be boosted by planting more tea farms, Hisaki says, but it would take years for current investments to reach store shelves. This scarcity of Uji-made ceremonial matcha fosters a sense of exclusivity, which further fuels the zeal of tourists. Hisaki says that since the start of the year, their store will sell a month's supply of matcha powder in a single day. And if the frenzy continues, she says, tea ceremony instructors, temples and shrines could have difficulty securing supply. "We have heard reports of ceremonial matcha being used for lattes and smoothies, which can reduce the availability of high-quality matcha for those who wish to enjoy it in its traditional form," says Simona Suzuki, president of the Global Japanese Tea Association. "Our hope is that foreign tourists will consider the intended use when purchasing matcha." I kept thinking back to the man at the front of the line and those like him, hoarding hundreds of dollars' worth of matcha. What could one possibly do with so much of the finest quality tea? I don't know that man, but I suspect he wasn't buying the matcha for tea ceremonies. I suspect that like me, he and the folks back home enjoy diluting the beverage with milk and sugar in the form of a matcha latte, maybe even baking a batch of cookies. I also suspect that most folks, like me, don't have a refined enough palate to distinguish between the top tiers of matcha. Plus, the grassy green product loses its freshness after sitting in a pantry for months. Yet I see that when we're hundreds of miles from home and the opportunity arises, it can be all too tempting to drop our polite inhibitions and allow greed to overtake our graces. How many tins would I have taken, given the opportunity? "I think it's wonderful that the matcha of Japan is spreading," says Hisaki, "I would like more people to enjoy it for health, tea ceremonies and cultural inheritance." But she urges visitors not to hoard supplies for resale. More like this:• The women saving Japan's vanishing cuisine• The eight Asian sauces to keep in your pantry• How the bullet train transformed Japan Shopping in Uji became more stressful than I anticipated, as I spent my time wondering if I should be trying to snag the last remaining tins of matcha in town. But even if visitors miss out on taking home a stash of ceremonial matcha, there's no shortage of other products to enjoy. Suzuki hopes that travellers will turn an eye toward other teas such as vibrant senchas or earthy gyokuros. There's also hojicha, the roasted cousin to matcha that tastes more of nuts and chocolate than chlorophyll, and – in my opinion – tastier than matcha. Despite the shortage of matcha powder, Uji is still like a tea-themed park with an endless diversity of products. At Nakamura Tokichi I order a tea-infused soba noodle and matcha parfait, and from souvenir shops I purchase matcha fettuccine and curry. Eateries dish up matcha gyozas, takoyaki and ramen. At Tsujirihei, I purchase a bag of sweetened matcha powder, a product designed to be easily dissolved in water – ideal for matcha lattes or other sweet drinks. I'm sipping on this sort of instant matcha latte now, enlivened by its verdant greenness and soothed by its warmth. Sure, this drink wasn't served to the emperor, but it suits my purposes just fine. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
