Latest news with #KojiMatsui
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Higher prices for tourists are becoming the norm – and Britain should get in on the act
For all their quirks, you can't fault the Japanese for their common sense. As a case in point, just look at the mayor of Kyoto, Koji Matsui, who recently announced that he is considering a higher price for tourists using the city's increasingly congested public transport network. With Japan facing a huge increase in tourism in recent years, Matsui-san isn't the only one looking to take steps to make visitors pay a little bit more in order to compensate for the cheaper yen. Reports of Japanese restaurants and bars charging higher prices for foreigners have been rife in recent years, with the best deals reserved for those able to order from a Japanese-language menu. While dual pricing remains somewhat of a taboo, some Japanese establishments have begun defending the practice – although not for the reason you might expect. One Tokyo restaurateur, Shogo Yonemitsu, told journalists that the extra charge (around £5) levied on non-locals was justified given that tourists very rarely spoke any Japanese and, thus, required extra attention from the service staff. You can't fault the logic there. But is the extra reasoning really necessary? Surely, two-tier pricing can be justified on the much simpler basis that charging extra for tourists – particularly those benefiting from a steep currency discount – is a good idea in its own right and almost always morally justified to boot. There's a reason that the practice is widespread across much of what development-types like to call the Global South. Attractions from the Giza Pyramids and the Taj Mahal to Machu Picchu have offered discounted prices for locals for decades. Sometimes the gap can be steep: at Galápagos National Park in Ecuador, Westerners can expect to pay five times as much as locals – and quite rightly so. Traditionally, two-tier pricing has been justified by the imbalance in purchasing power. But now, the practice is increasingly being adopted by richer countries too. Just last month, no less a figure than President Macron of France announced plans to fund the upkeep of the Louvre by charging higher entrance fees to non-EU nationals – including Britons – from next year. The Louvre isn't alone on that front. The Alhambra palace in Spain and the Acropolis in Athens both operate a similar system, with discounted prices for locals and other EU nationals. (In case you're curious, the inclusion of 'other EU nationals' is to keep on the right side of Brussels' law, which forbids countries from discriminating against their fellow EU citizens). While the practice is less established in the US, it is starting to make an appearance in those States which attract the lion's share of tourists. In New York, locals visiting The Met gallery are encouraged to make a voluntary donation, for example, but are exempt from the usual $30 entry fee. Meanwhile, Disneyland has long offered discounted deals for Florida residents. Across the world, then, the picture is clear: higher prices for tourists are becoming the norm. And while we may grumble about having to pay our Brexit premium to see the Mona Lisa, perhaps we should be directing our energies to a much bigger question: isn't it time that Britain got in on the game? Anyone who spends time in London will be painfully aware that tourism numbers have been surging in recent years. According to the latest available figures, our capital city welcomed some 10.4 million international visitors in the first half of 2024. That's a 10 per cent increase since 2023 and 5 per cent more than in 2019, the last year of the pre-pandemic, pre-inflation world economy. Of course, more visitors means more money for businesses and government coffers alike. But that doesn't mean these levels of tourism don't bring their downsides. By some estimates, more than 1 in 100 homes within the capital has been converted into an Airbnb, meaning higher rents for those who actually live and work in the city. Then there are the specific cases where charging tourists is the only moral course of action. Take museums, for example. Free entry for those living in Britain makes sense, given that the vast majority of us contribute to their upkeep through taxation. But why should international visitors get to see the wonders of the British Museum without paying a penny? The museum's outgoing interim director, Mark Jones, made a similar point last year. 'It would make sense for us to charge overseas visitors for admission to museums, as they charge us when we visit their museums,' he told The Sunday Times. You can apply the same logic to our glorious national parks, some of which, like Snowdonia, have seen a massive surge in visitors since the pandemic. But rather than charge tourists more, Britain has a tendency to adopt systems which do the opposite – even if it is usually unintentional. Take the zone system on the London Underground, where longer journeys cost more. It may sound like common sense, but it also means that commuters end up shelling out more of their cash in order to subsidise tourists zipping between St Paul's and Oxford Circus. Nor should we lose sight of the fact that many of the tourists flocking to the Royal Mile or Covent Garden wouldn't wince at paying extra. They clearly haven't been put off by the already grossly inflated hotel prices in London and Edinburgh. Not to mention the fact that many of them are coming from the States, and are thus already saving money due to the stronger dollar. It's true that introducing tourist premium prices would require a bit of thinking. Flashing a British passport would be the obvious option, but that doesn't account for the large number of non-UK nationals living and working here. Needless to say, having the British Museum ask people to produce evidence of a recent gas bill would be infinitely stupider than the current system. But even with those wrinkles, I'm increasingly convinced that it's time the UK followed both Japan and France in squeezing a little extra from our international visitors. It might not be the way we've done things historically, but the wind is clearly blowing in one direction – and there are no prizes to be had standing in its way. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Higher prices for tourists are becoming the norm – and Britain should get in on the act
For all their quirks, you can't fault the Japanese for their common sense. As a case in point, just look at the mayor of Kyoto, Koji Matsui, who recently announced that he is considering a higher price for tourists using the city's increasingly congested public transport network. With Japan facing a huge increase in tourism in recent years, Matsui-san isn't the only one looking to take steps to make visitors pay a little bit more in order to compensate for the cheaper yen. Reports of Japanese restaurants and bars charging higher prices for foreigners have been rife in recent years, with the best deals reserved for those able to order from a Japanese-language menu. While dual pricing remains somewhat of a taboo, some Japanese establishments have begun defending the practice – although not for the reason you might expect. One Tokyo restaurateur, Shogo Yonemitsu, told journalists that the extra charge (around £5) levied on non-locals was justified given that tourists very rarely spoke any Japanese and, thus, required extra attention from the service staff. You can't fault the logic there. But is the extra reasoning really necessary? Surely, two-tier pricing can be justified on the much simpler basis that charging extra for tourists – particularly those benefiting from a steep currency discount – is a good idea in its own right and almost always morally justified to boot. There's a reason that the practice is widespread across much of what development-types like to call the Global South. Attractions from the Giza Pyramids and the Taj Mahal to Machu Picchu have offered discounted prices for locals for decades. Sometimes the gap can be steep: at Galápagos National Park in Ecuador, Westerners can expect to pay five times as much as locals – and quite rightly so. Traditionally, two-tier pricing has been justified by the imbalance in purchasing power. But now, the practice is increasingly being adopted by richer countries too. Just last month, no less a figure than President Macron of France announced plans to fund the upkeep of the Louvre by charging higher entrance fees to non-EU nationals – including Britons – from next year. The Louvre isn't alone on that front. The Alhambra palace in Spain and the Acropolis in Athens both operate a similar system, with discounted prices for locals and other EU nationals. (In case you're curious, the inclusion of 'other EU nationals' is to keep on the right side of Brussels' law, which forbids countries from discriminating against their fellow EU citizens). While the practice is less established in the US, it is starting to make an appearance in those States which attract the lion's share of tourists. In New York, locals visiting The Met gallery are encouraged to make a voluntary donation, for example, but are exempt from the usual $30 entry fee. Meanwhile, Disneyland has long offered discounted deals for Florida residents. Across the world, then, the picture is clear: higher prices for tourists are becoming the norm. And while we may grumble about having to pay our Brexit premium to see the Mona Lisa, perhaps we should be directing our energies to a much bigger question: isn't it time that Britain got in on the game? Anyone who spends time in London will be painfully aware that tourism numbers have been surging in recent years. According to the latest available figures, our capital city welcomed some 10.4 million international visitors in the first half of 2024. That's a 10 per cent increase since 2023 and 5 per cent more than in 2019, the last year of the pre-pandemic, pre-inflation world economy. Of course, more visitors means more money for businesses and government coffers alike. But that doesn't mean these levels of tourism don't bring their downsides. By some estimates, more than 1 in 100 homes within the capital has been converted into an Airbnb, meaning higher rents for those who actually live and work in the city. Then there are the specific cases where charging tourists is the only moral course of action. Take museums, for example. Free entry for those living in Britain makes sense, given that the vast majority of us contribute to their upkeep through taxation. But why should international visitors get to see the wonders of the British Museum without paying a penny? The museum's outgoing interim director, Mark Jones, made a similar point last year. 'It would make sense for us to charge overseas visitors for admission to museums, as they charge us when we visit their museums,' he told The Sunday Times. You can apply the same logic to our glorious national parks, some of which, like Snowdonia, have seen a massive surge in visitors since the pandemic. But rather than charge tourists more, Britain has a tendency to adopt systems which do the opposite – even if it is usually unintentional. Take the zone system on the London Underground, where longer journeys cost more. It may sound like common sense, but it also means that commuters end up shelling out more of their cash in order to subsidise tourists zipping between St Paul's and Oxford Circus. Nor should we lose sight of the fact that many of the tourists flocking to the Royal Mile or Covent Garden wouldn't wince at paying extra. They clearly haven't been put off by the already grossly inflated hotel prices in London and Edinburgh. Not to mention the fact that many of them are coming from the States, and are thus already saving money due to the stronger dollar. It's true that introducing tourist premium prices would require a bit of thinking. Flashing a British passport would be the obvious option, but that doesn't account for the large number of non-UK nationals living and working here. Needless to say, having the British Museum ask people to produce evidence of a recent gas bill would be infinitely stupider than the current system. But even with those wrinkles, I'm increasingly convinced that it's time the UK followed both Japan and France in squeezing a little extra from our international visitors. It might not be the way we've done things historically, but the wind is clearly blowing in one direction – and there are no prizes to be had standing in its way.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Japanese city considers dual pricing on public transport to tackle overtourism
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.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
15-02-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Japanese city considers dual pricing on public transport to tackle overtourism
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.'
