Monday, March 24, 2025 In response to the surge in tourism following the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan has moved to introduce accommodation taxes in several cities and prefectures across the country. On Friday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, headed by Minister Seiichiro Murakami, approved the implementation of this tax in nine cities and two prefectures, marking a significant step in the country’s strategy to balance tourism growth with sustainability. These measures come as local governments face the challenge of overtourism, a phenomenon that has been exacerbated by Japan’s post-pandemic tourism recovery.
Japan has followed in the footsteps of several countries such as Italy, France, Spain, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Thailand, Greece, Portugal, Indonesia, South Africa, India, Canada, and Croatia by implementing accommodation taxes. These taxes aim to manage the challenges posed by mass tourism, ensuring that local governments can fund the necessary infrastructure, preserve cultural heritage, and maintain the environmental sustainability of popular destinations. Like Italy’s cities such as Rome and Venice, and Spain’s Barcelona, Japan has introduced the tax in key tourist cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hokkaido.
The collected funds will support local tourism development, improve public services, and tackle the pressures of overtourism. For countries like Thailand and Indonesia, tourism t.
