Special fees and separate prices on goods and services for foreign tourists

[Petaris]

I have seen a couple of articles, links below, about proposals for having different pricing for foreign tourists. I'm curious to know everyone's thoughts on these ideas.

Osaka special foreign tourist fee: Japanese prefectural governor wants foreign tourists to pay special extra fee

Tokyo separate, from local Japanese, pricing for goods and services: "Foreign travelers are Japan's guests" – Governor against charging tourists more than locals & New Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals

For a country that really needs the tourist money, and indeed immigration, it seems like a very bad idea. But what are your thoughts?

 

[salyavin]

One thing is how do you know a resident vs a tourist? Would Thomas for example be charged more because of his race or will he have to show proof of residency at all stores?

 

[thomas]

One thing is how do you know a resident vs a tourist? Would Thomas for example be charged more because of his race or will he have to show proof of residency at all stores?

Residents could always produce their 在留カード, which they are supposed to carry at all times anyhow. Hey Kono Taro, I suggest a subcutaneous implant that covers My Number, Pasmo, and Suica, too.

I am not opposed to charging tourists more for certain sightseeing spots, museums, etc. Many places in Europe and elsewhere suffering from "over-tourism" have implemented similar strategies and used the additional revenue to improve their infrastructure (Venice comes to mind). However, I would consider charging more for goods and services (eateries) a bad idea.

 

[Petaris]

One thing is how do you know a resident vs a tourist? Would Thomas for example be charged more because of his race or will he have to show proof of residency at all stores?

That is a good point. And if Thomas's thought was the case it would result in some cases of having to produce your ID for transactions that would otherwise be anonymous. In a culture that has a such a deep expectation and desire for privacy I could see the potential for resistance to that idea.

We have examples of this, in a far more limited fashion, here as well. Local public facilities, like pools and gyms, sometimes charge residents of that locality less than non-residents as the residents are already supporting those facilities with their local taxes. It is not done at all for goods though.

I wouldn't really mind if this was done for government related service fees, as those government services are supported by taxes. But for businesses it just seems greedy.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

As for the opinion that "the double price of the domestic visitor and inbound visitor is happy" and "may be connected for discrimination" from the store of the significance claim street of the extra charge ... (May 9, 2024)


Claim of the Toru Hashimoto.
When I distinguish a double price, I have you show my number card toward the Japanese what I should do.
Because he/she issues it, the foreigner that my number card met foreign constant requirements of the staying in Japan does not have any problem at all I show that it is a thing settling down in Japan properly living in Japan by this my number card by an identification card, and to discount it if to do it.

 

[mdchachi]

Seems like the solution would be to implement point cards or other discount strategies that visitors likely wouldn't have access to.

 

[Petaris]

Seems like the solution would be to implement point cards or other discount strategies that visitors likely wouldn't have access to.

Or a discount for a payment method that a foreigner would not have access to, like LINE Pay.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

As for the general Japanese, the majority seem to object in a separate prices.


私も見っとも無いと思います。(I also think it's unseemly.)

 

[salyavin]

Well as Thomas said they require you to carry your resident card at all times, I was actually checked once by police (just once) they can legally do that at any time. It's just a pain and the staff has to know what a resident card looks like and understand when someone wants to show it. grandma's restaurant has probably never seen one before. Maybe my number would work better. extra fees to see tourist spots is easier let the locals have a "discount" if you like. eateries I don't get it.