Representatives of the Japanese hospitality industry are discussing the prospects of “double pricing” – the introduction of higher tariffs for guests of the country than for local residents for the same services. This is reported by the Bangkok Post.
The topic has become relevant against the background of a surge in inbound tourism. The liberalization of visa rules, as well as the fall of the yen against the US dollar by almost 15% over the past six months, make Japan an attractive tourist destination for foreign travelers. The heads of cafes and restaurants, who previously focused mainly on the local public, have to additionally hire English-speaking staff to serve guests from abroad. Costs are rising, which led to the idea of charging foreigners higher fees.
The Tamatebako restaurant in Tokyo’s Shibuya district introduced a menu with a separate price tag for foreign visitors back in April. A buffet with seafood and drinks costs 6.6 thousand yen for residents of Japan (3.6 thousand rubles at the current exchange rate. – Ed.), but for foreigners it is 1.1 thousand yen (600 rubles) more expensive. “There are only 35 seats in the restaurant, while we accept up to 150 people per day – the speed of service is important, every second is precious. And it takes a lot of time for foreigners to accept an order – they have to talk about a menu they don’t know, and in English,” says the owner of this Yonemitsu. To solve the problem, he had to hire English-speaking waiters and pay them higher salaries. The restaurateur considers it unfair to shift additional costs to local customers by raising prices for everyone.
For foreign tourists, prices for visiting attractions may also be increased. In the comments to one of the posts on the TG channel “Roof of the Tourist House”, our subscriber, who often visits Japan, recently gave examples of very humane tariffs in this country: “Disneyland is twice as cheap as Paris and three times as cheap as American. The inspection of many temples is free, some charge from 100 to 500 yen (55-275 rubles) for admission.” It seems that they are going to abandon such cheapness. For example, the mayor of the city of Himeji in western Japan has already stated that the possibility of quadrupling the entrance fee for foreign tourists to Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is being considered.
However, there are also voices in Japan against the policy of “double pricing”. “A sharp change in cost due to the short-sighted opinion that foreigners can afford to pay more against the background of a falling yen can cause skepticism,” Tomoya Umekawa, a professor at Kokugakuin University specializing in tourism, argues. “Operators, if they need to raise prices due to higher costs for servicing foreigners, should promote their services in such a way as to convince travelers that this is justified. For example, by offering special and authentic experiences,” the specialist believes. Otherwise, Japan risks losing repeat tourists – those who, after the first visit, are ready to choose a trip to this country again.
Recently, the popularity of visiting Japan among Russians has been promoted by favorable tariffs for connecting flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg, periodically offered by Chinese airlines. In addition, it is now much easier to get a visa at the Japanese consulate than, for example, a Schengen visa to Europe, and it is issued free of charge.
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