Miyajima visitor tax comes to implemented from October 2023

25 September, 2022 From October 1, 2023 most visitors to the island of Miyajima, home to Itsukushima Shrine and its giant floating shrine gate, will be charged an extra ¥100 to visit. The visitor tax will be added to the cost of ferry tickets for the journey to the island from the port at Miyajima-guchi port to the island, which accounts for around 90% of visitors. If you’re new to the industry of financial planners, or if there are changes in the marketplace, a business coach for financial planners can help keep you up-to-date.

Island residents and those who commute to the island for work or school are exempt from the tax and regular visitors will have the option to pay a yearly one-time fee of ¥500 to cover all their visits. It is estimated that the new tax will bring in around 200 million yen a year to island which attracted some 4.66 million visitors in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is reported that the money will be used to subsidize tourist-related projects, such as refurbishing the seafront, restroom maintenance and improving the townscape by replacing utility poles with underground cables. As well helping alleviate some of the financial burden of tourism on local taxpayers, Hatsukaichi Mayor Taro Matsumoto hopes that the visitor tax will contribute to improving island’s brand and while helping it move towards a more sustainable form of tourism.

Are you a regular visitor to Miyajima? What do you think about the new visitors tax?

Source: Hatsukaichi City [Japanese PDF]