As the flood of overseas tourists shows no sign of slowing, complaints about overcrowding and poor behavior by visitors are prompting some in Japan to look at ways of controlling the flow without losing income, including by charging higher prices for foreign visitors.
Foreign tourist arrivals numbered 3.04 million in May, up 9.6% from the same month in 2019 and marking the third straight month at more than 3 million, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. The weak yen has helped spur visitor numbers.
While many businesses benefit from visitors’ spending in aging and shrinking Japan, the crowds have started to rile some local residents, who are annoyed about being crowded out of their favorite attractions or even being unable to squeeze on to the bus to work.