Photo/Illutration Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Given the steady growth of inbound tourism consumption in Japan, there is a move to establish a "dual pricing system" whereby foreign tourists will be charged more than their Japanese counterparts.

In some cases, the purpose is to secure funds for maintaining tourist facilities. But unless the reason is clearly explained, the system may well be perceived as discriminatory toward foreigners. The local authorities need to carefully think everything through.

In Hyogo Prefecture, Himeji Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto made a stir in June when he announced his plan to quadruple, only for foreign visitors, the fee to enter Himeji Castle, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

At the urging of the city assembly and other local entities to proceed with caution, the mayor has since revised his initial plan and is considering keeping the current admission of 1,000 yen ($6.50) per person for the city's residents but raising it for all non-residents, regardless of their nationality.

All tourists contribute to the castle's congestion and general wear and tear of its wooden structure. But the castle is also a special place for local citizens to enjoy, and the city maintains it with its budget, which relies on local tax revenues.

It is only fair then that the locals are charged a lower fee than the rest of the visitors. We hope the city will continue to discuss what would be a reasonable and acceptable increase for non-resident tourists, and also think about how the revenues from the higher charge should be used.

In Osaka Prefecture, the governor announced that he was considering a surcharge system that will require all foreign visitors to the prefecture to pay a certain fee.

At a meeting of a prefectural council of experts, however, many members called for caution, stressing the need to ensure the fairness of the system and to clearly explain its purpose to the public.

The panel came up with a set of recommendations in August. Among these was a proposed hotel accommodation tax hike to upgrade tourist facilities such as public restrooms and signage at popular tourist spots.

As for the surcharge system, the panel recommended further studies, including a survey of how similar systems work overseas.

Some tourist facilities in developing nations have different price points for foreign visitors and locals.

In most cases, this is because of extreme economic gaps between the two groups, which would make the places almost inaccessible to locals if they have to pay the same price as their much wealthier foreign tourists.

Aside from what the city of Himeji is considering for visitors to its castle, we believe there also are other ideas, such as offering student discounts and lowering the fees during less busy seasons. But in any case, it is vital that every decision be fully realistic and justifiable.

It is also important to think how best to meet today's brisk tourism demand.

For example, if tourists are being inconvenienced by overcrowded city buses, one solution could be to create a new "express" route that services only the tourist spots and charge a little extra fare to riders of all nationalities.

Or another idea might be to provide sightseeing and shopping assistance in foreign languages for a fee.

The government positions tourism as "a pillar of growth strategy and a trump card for regional revitalization."

As for price setting, the government should respect the originality of each local government but also express its view that no system will be discriminatory in any way.

When foreign tourists visit Japan, it is their chance to get to know the country and their Japanese hosts better. It would be unfortunate if they are made to feel discriminated against and treated unfairly.

We want to remain a nation that makes people want to come back again.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 6

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