跑偏的日本住宿税

Core Insights - Japan's tourism market is projected to perform exceptionally well in 2024, with nearly 37 million inbound foreign tourists and tourism spending exceeding 8.1 trillion yen. The government aims to attract 60 million foreign tourists and achieve 15 trillion yen in spending by 2030, making tourism a vital growth engine amid domestic market contraction due to aging population and low birth rates [1][2] Group 1: Tourism Growth and Challenges - The influx of tourists has led to significant economic benefits but also created challenges such as overcrowding, rising housing prices, and environmental degradation in popular tourist destinations like Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Kyoto, and Osaka [1][2] - To mitigate the negative impacts of overtourism, several local governments in Japan are implementing "accommodation taxes" to compensate for the strain on public services caused by tourism [1][2] Group 2: Accommodation Tax Implementation - As of July 2023, 42 local governments have started or plan to implement accommodation taxes, with over 90 considering it. By the end of July, 35 plans had been approved, with 12 already in effect and 23 expected to start by 2026 [2] - Osaka Prefecture, which introduced accommodation tax in 2017, recently adjusted its tax coverage from accommodations costing over 7,000 yen per night to those over 5,000 yen, potentially generating additional revenue in the tens of billions of yen for the local government [3] Group 3: Regional Responses and Future Plans - Kyoto, significantly impacted by overtourism, saw a 53% increase in foreign visitors in 2024, reaching 10.88 million. The city plans to raise its accommodation tax to a maximum of 10,000 yen per person per night starting March 2026, which is expected to generate around 13 billion yen for infrastructure and public services [3][4] - Experts express skepticism about the effectiveness of accommodation taxes in addressing overtourism issues, suggesting that a more comprehensive approach is needed, including visitor caps and better distribution of tourists across less-known regions [4] Group 4: Broader Implications and Concerns - The limited geographical area of Japan poses inherent constraints on its tourism capacity, necessitating total visitor control measures before addressing structural issues [4] - Concerns arise that reliance on accommodation taxes may lead to a government mindset of "collecting money to solve problems," which could hinder effective governance and Japan's international tourism image [4][6]