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Japan quietly and politely hates its tourism boom

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Summary

Japan has experienced a huge tourism boom in recent years, leading to congested public transport and disruption of local life. In response, the city of Kyoto has put in place the "mind your manners" campaign and terminated its popular one-day bus pass, but the economic benefits of the sector remain strong. In 2020, Japan closed its borders to inbound tourists due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the sector is slowly beginning to rebound. Despite the financial gains, local society is increasingly critical of tourists who violate rules and manners, leading to a need for the tourism industry to become more inclusive.

Q&As

What measures has Kyoto taken to discourage tourism?
Kyoto has terminated its popular one-day bus pass to discourage tourists from using the city’s busses.

What is the impact of Japan's tourism boom on local infrastructure?
The rising number of international travelers strains local infrastructure and public manners have been termed “sightseeing pollution.”

What is the relationship between international tourism and Kyoto's economy?
Tourism generates almost a fifth of Kyoto's nominal GDP, but it has also triggered a dynamic of “tourism gentrification” with locals being pushed out from the housing market.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic changed the situation for tourism in Japan?
Japan closed its borders to inbound tourists from April 2020 to October 2022, bringing the tourism industry to a complete halt.

How can the tourism industry become more inclusive in order to balance financial gains and societal support?
The tourism industry should acknowledge the challenges and educate tourists about appropriate behavior while sightseeing, and strive to create a more inclusive business that balances financial gains and societal support.

AI Comments

👍 This article does an excellent job of highlighting the complexities of Japan's tourism industry and the difficulties of balancing financial gains with societal support.

👎 This article fails to address the potential environmental impacts of Japan's tourism industry and the long-term consequences of overtourism.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how Japan is dealing with its tourism boom. There's been an influx of tourists and it's starting to strain resources and infrastructure. Locals have complained about public transport and tourist behavior, and there are worries about tourism gentrification. The Covid-19 pandemic has made the situation even more complex.

Friend: That's really interesting. It's clear that the tourism industry is a major pillar of Japan's economy, but it sounds like it's starting to have a negative impact on the local population.

Me: Exactly. The article highlights the need to balance economic gains with social support. There's a need to spread out the tourism more evenly, and to educate tourists on proper behavior in tourist areas. It's also important for the tourism industry to be more inclusive and take into consideration the needs of the local population.

Action items

Research the “Go To Travel” campaign and other initiatives to promote tourism in Japan.
Educate yourself on the “Visit Japan Campaign” and the 2006 Basic Law to promote tourism.
Learn about the “tourism gentrification” phenomenon and how it has impacted local communities in Japan.

Technical terms

Queueing Times: The amount of time spent waiting in line for something.
Inconvenienced: To cause difficulty or annoyance.
Expressed Concern: To express worry or anxiety about something.
Overtourism: The phenomenon of too many tourists visiting a destination, leading to overcrowding and other negative impacts.
Visit Japan Campaign: A campaign launched by the Japanese government in 2003 to promote tourism in Japan.
Japan Tourism Agency: A government agency established in 2008 to promote tourism in Japan.
Visa Regulations: Rules and regulations governing the issuance of visas to foreign nationals.
Contribute to Economic Recovery: To help a country or region recover from an economic crisis.
Export of Semiconductors: The export of semiconductor products from one country to another.
Go To Travel Campaign: A campaign launched by the Japanese government in 2020 to encourage domestic travel and mitigate hotel bankruptcies.
Mitigate Hotel Bankruptcies: To reduce the number of hotel bankruptcies.
Hope for Tourism to Rebound: To hope that tourism will return to pre-pandemic levels.
Recent Depreciation: A decrease in the value of a currency relative to other currencies.
Average of 200,000 Yen: The average amount of money spent by inbound visitors in Japan.
Policy Goal: A goal set by a government or organization to achieve a certain outcome.
Raise the General Consumption Level: To increase the overall spending level of tourists.
Lifting the Ban: To remove a restriction or prohibition.
Equal Hawaii: To have the same level of tourism as Hawaii.
Successfully Lobbied: To successfully advocate for a particular cause or policy.
Picking Up Slowly: To increase gradually.
Approval of Disposing Wastewater: To approve the disposal of wastewater from a nuclear power plant into the ocean.
Canceled in Bulk: To cancel a large number of something at once.
Article: A written work published in a print or electronic medium.