Japan to impose tourist tax to visitors staying longer than 24 hours

A screenshot of part of the Japanese Government’s announcement on tourist tax to be imposed on departing visitors staying longer than 24 hours starting after Jan. 7, 2019. /Screenshot taken from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) website

CEBU CITY, Philippines  — Cebuanos who wish to visit Japan, also known as the Land of the Rising Sun, may have to add more to their budget especially if they are planning to stay there for more than a day.

In a report published online by Japan Times on New Year’s Day, the Japanese government will be collecting 1,000 Yen (roughly P485) from each tourist leaving Japan starting this Monday, January 7.

The fee imposed is called the International Tourist Tax.

An online copy of the brochure expounding the International Tourist Tax, which will be provided to tourists, is uploaded by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) on its official website.

JNTO is an independent administrative agency of the Japanese government that promotes the country’s tourism sector.

JNTO said in its brochure that the collection from the tourist tax will be spent to improve Japan’s tourism and immigration services, as well as in establishing more tourism-related developments.

“Revenues from the International Tourist Tax will be allocated to the following three areas: (1) Create a more comfortable, stress-free tourist environment (2) Improve access to information about a wide variety of attractions of Japan (3) Develop tourist resources taking advantage of the unique cultural and natural assets of respective regions,” JNTO said.

The International Tourist Tax applies to all tourists, regardless of nationalities, and the mode of travel – be it by air or sea.

“The ‘international tourist tax’ is a scheme in which cruise lines and airlines (special tax collectors), in principle, must collect the “international tourist tax” from individuals departing from Japan (taxpayers), for example by including the amount in their ticket prices. The collected payments are remitted to the Japanese Government,” JNTO said in the document.

Exempted are visitors who will be staying not more than 24 hours, children ages two years old and below, and “people meeting certain conditions, and those leaving Japan on or after January 7, 2019, using an air ticket issued before January 7, 2019.”

Avigael Maningo, junior corporate communications manager of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) that operates the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), told Cebu Daily News Digital in an online interview that there are 64 direct flights from Cebu to Japan per week./elb

Link to the brochure: https://www.jnto.org.au/app/uploads/2018/06/International-Tourist-Tax.pdf