Japan Tackles Overtourism With New Accommodation Taxes, But Hong Kong Tourists Keep Coming Strong

Published on August 25, 2025

Japan tackles overtourism pinch caller accommodation taxes, but Hong Kong visitors support coming beardown because of Japan’s heavy taste entreaty and beardown location connections. While section governments person started implementing fees betwixt 200 yen and 10,000 yen per nighttime to power nan surge successful visitors, request from Hong Kong remains strong. Japan’s chopped taste features, geographical closeness to Hong Kong, and a well-established tourism nexus pinch nan region guarantee that these caller taxes will person small to nary effect connected visitant numbers from Hong Kong.

Hong Kongers’ Continued Enthusiasm for Japan Despite Looming Accommodation Taxes

Despite nan increasing inclination of imposing accommodation taxes successful Japan’s municipalities, Hong Kong travelers’ passion for visiting nan state remains strong. Even arsenic much regions present these levies to combat overtourism, manufacture experts stay optimistic astir nan continued travel of visitors from Hong Kong.

So far, 42 municipalities crossed Japan person either implemented aliases are readying to present lodging taxes connected various types of accommodation, including hotels and accepted ryokans (Japanese inns). These taxes alteration widely, ranging from arsenic debased arsenic 200 yen (about 44 baht) to a steep 10,000 yen (around 2,200 baht) per night, depending connected nan region and nan type of accommodation.

Local authorities are hopeful that these taxes will thief money nan attraction and enhancement of tourism accommodation successful consequence to nan influx of world visitors. A study conducted betwixt June and July revealed that 728 retired of 1,723 section governments expressed liking successful implementing specified lodging taxes. The money collected would beryllium allocated for nan improvement of infrastructure, nan promotion of tourism, and nan preservation of humanities landmarks and earthy landscapes—key priorities for municipalities seeking to negociate nan effect of precocious tourer volumes.

However, nan nonstop rates for these imaginable taxes person yet to beryllium determined, leaving galore successful nan manufacture wondering astir nan early financial load placed connected tourists. Some section governments are besides exploring nan anticipation of utilizing nan further gross to bolster their infrastructure, particularly pinch respect to handling nan increasing number of overseas visitors.

To formally present an accommodation tax, section governments must walk circumstantial laws and get support from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The move is portion of a broader effort by nan state to equilibrium tourism maturation pinch sustainability, peculiarly arsenic Japanese destinations look surging visitant numbers.

Japan’s tourism manufacture continues to thrive, pinch nan state welcoming a important influx of overseas visitors successful 2025. According to nan Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), Japan hosted 21.5 cardinal overseas travelers successful nan first half of nan year. June unsocial saw 3.38 cardinal overseas visitors—a 7.6% summation from nan aforesaid play past year. The largest number of arrivals came from mainland China, followed by South Korea and Taiwan. Hong Kong classed fourth, contributing 166,800 visitors, though this fig represents a notable diminution of 33.4% from nan erstwhile year.

The driblet successful visitors from Hong Kong has been attributed to information concerns pursuing predictions of a imaginable “megaquake” successful early July. Despite this setback, Japan remains a apical destination for Hong Kong residents, pinch 2.68 cardinal travelers from Hong Kong visiting successful 2024, making up astir 7.3% of Japan’s full overseas tourists.

In consequence to its ain fund deficit, nan Hong Kong authorities has introduced a 3% edifice accommodation taxation for nan existent year. This move mirrors Japan’s efforts to make further gross from nan tourism sector, though nan attack successful each state has been driven by different economical factors.

Even pinch nan implementation of these taxes, experts judge that nan robust request from Hong Kong travelers will proceed to substance nan tourism manufacture successful Japan. As agelong arsenic nan state maintains its position arsenic a cardinal taste and economical hub successful Asia, nan liking from Hong Kong and different world visitors is expected to stay resilient, albeit pinch imaginable changes to nan measurement these visitors acquisition their trips.

Japan tackles overtourism pinch caller accommodation taxes, but Hong Kong visitors support coming beardown owed to nan country’s unmatched taste entreaty and proximity. Despite rising costs, Japan remains a apical destination for Hong Kong travelers seeking rich | experiences and unsocial attractions.

Japan tackles overtourism pinch caller accommodation taxes, but Hong Kong visitors support coming beardown owed to nan country’s unmatched taste entreaty and proximity. Despite rising costs, Japan remains a apical destination for Hong Kong travelers seeking rich | experiences and unsocial attractions.

Japan’s committedness to sustainable tourism, bolstered by nan preamble of accommodation taxes, reflects a increasing world inclination toward uncovering a equilibrium betwixt maximizing nan benefits of tourism and preserving nan authenticity and entreaty of cardinal destinations. Whether Hong Kongers, aliases different world visitors, will beryllium deterred by nan caller fees remains to beryllium seen, but for now, Japan’s allure remains arsenic beardown arsenic ever.