Really ? Japanese are requested to pay ﾂ≫?? at Peter Rabbit

[Astroboy]

Donation program for foreigner tourists home of Peter Rabbit
Fairy tale "Peter Rabbit" in the popular Lake District in the Midlands to the stage known as the Japanese tourists, and the purpose of environmental protection fund system was intended for Japanese tourists. £ 5 per person (about 720 yen) collected. Officially start tomorrow. Fund-raising machine ever ...

The voluntary scheme has existed for several years, but is only now being rolled out to the Japanese market. BBC News - Lake District wants donations from Japanese tourists

Only Japanese ????? WHY don't they ask others ? :?

 

[JimmySeal]

Mr Broughton stressed the £5 charge was voluntary, and that the Japanese had not been "targeted" to pay.

The idea was the brainchild of Nurture Lakeland, formerly the Lake District Tourism Conservation Partnership, a charity with some 230 business members, which according to its website works "to promote environmentally sustainable tourism practices".

Mr Broughton said the initiative came about during a meeting of the Lake District's Japan Forum, where local businesses discuss tourism with Japanese tour operators.

The operators were interested in supporting environmental projects because many of their Japanese clients took a keen interest in green issues, he explained.

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[Astroboy]

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Donation is fine, but still inscrutable to me WHY they believe that only Japanese are willing to pay.

 

[Mycernius]

I listened to this on radio 4 yesterday. A Japanese tourist rep says that many Japanese have no problem with paying this. She also mentioned one reason is the Japanese culture of not giving tips. She personally had no problem with the idea. It is not compulsory and it may be extended to other nationalities.
Because it is seen as a green isuue the article mentioned that because the Japanese are more environmentally minded than others that they are more willing to pay.

 

[Hezam]

Only Japanese ? !!
Even if they don't mind to pay,Even if they are rich,WHY only japanese ???
At least why don't they make optional for all nationalities.

 

[Astroboy]

Because it is seen as a green isuue the article mentioned that because the Japanese are more environmentally minded than others that they are more willing to pay.

Japanese are believed to be more environmentally minded .... Certainly yes. But I have never thought that British people think so as BBC, Telegraph, etc. continued to tell "Japanese are illegally Killing Whales !!!!", which is the symbol of GREEN PEACE/many ecology activists in Europe (including UK).

In the USA, Tip is a part of US culture.... I think so too. So, when American tourists visit UK Lake District, they are willing to pay extra money even if nobody tells them. Is my understanding correct ???

 

[nice gaijin]

The voluntary scheme has existed for several years, but is only now being rolled out to the Japanese market.

furthermore,

"The tourism and conservation partnership are now leading the project which sees Japanese tour operators encourage customers to donate £5 to conservation in the Lake District and receive a Peter Rabbit pin badge and certificate.

"5,000 badges are expected to be distributed during 2010 raising £25,000 for conservation."

So a donation system which has been in effect for a while is now asking Japanese tour operators to request a voluntary donation from their groups, in exchange for a pin and certificate... and you're crying foul? And then in the same breath, b*tch about whaling getting bad press, which has nothing to do with this story. hm.

 

[Mycernius]

In the USA, Tip is a part of US culture.... I think so too. So, when American tourists visit UK Lake District, they are willing to pay extra money even if nobody tells them. Is my understanding correct ???

Well, yes, because tipping is part of US culture. An American is more likely to give a tip than a Japanese, and if truth be told, a Brit, as we do not really having a tipping culture either.
I would, again, remind you that this is not compulsory.

 

[JimmySeal]

Donation is fine, but still inscrutable to me WHY they believe that only Japanese are willing to pay.

It's not that they believe only Japanese are willing to pay. The idea was voluntarily hatched by Japanese tour guides and organizations that cater specifically to Japanese tourists, and they are the ones executing the program (I made this bold in my previous post to emphasize it).

 

[NickJaguar]

I am a Japanese and I've been to Lake District 10 years ago.

I noticed that there are so many Japanese tourists visiting there, and on the other hand I could hardly see tourists from other countries. So I don't think the local people are trying to be racist or that kind of thing. They are just targeting Japanese tourists because there are so many of them. And the Japanese travel agencies kindly accepted it. So I think there is no problem, as long as they use the donated money effectively.

Sorry if my grammars are wrong, my mother tongue isn't English