The Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, Japan, famous for its sea torii, often attracts a large number of tourists. To improve the quality of tourism, the Hatsukaichi City Government of Hiroshima Prefecture is studying the imposition of a “landing tax” on tourists. It is currently hoped to be levied in 2021.
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported that the Hatsukaichi City Government is studying the imposition of a “landing tax” on tourists visiting Itsukushima (commonly known as Miyajima), and announced the results of a poll conducted for people on the island, showing that the rate of taxation is as high as 93%, and Those in favor include citizens and non-citizens.
The Hatsukaichi City Government plans to levy the island tax in 2021 and will seek public understanding through briefing sessions and other occasions.
The poll was conducted in the square in front of the Miyajima Tourist Center on September 5th. A survey was conducted on 5270 people who came to visit. Among them, 404 people responded, and the interview rate was about 8%. The Hatsukaichi City Government will use the landing tax to solve the problem of garbage disposal and congestion in the Miyajimaguchi area, and to add toilets and follow-up maintenance and management.
The current research plan includes levying 100 yen (approximately NT$27) for people who board the island each time (except for islanders or those who go to the island to study and work), or 500 yen per year.
Of the 376 tourists interviewed, about 93.1% of them agreed with the island tax, while only 24 people and about 5.9% of tourists opposed it.
The supporting opinions include “hope to make the environment more tidy and beautiful”, “hope to increase the number of toilets and trash cans”, etc.; opposed opinions include “will reduce tourists’ willingness to land on the island” and “related expenses should be borne by the county and city governments.”
In addition to holding briefing sessions, Hatsukaichi City Government also solicits public opinions. If the island tax is levied, it will be collected when taking the ferry; in order to prevent the collection of island tax from causing confusion, the ferry company will also discuss relevant practices, and the bill will be compiled and sent to the city council for review.
Miyajima is a well-known tourist attraction in the Hiroshima area. It is located in the western part of the Seto Inland Sea and the northwestern part of Hiroshima Bay. The island’s Itsukushima Shrine, a sea torii gate, is a must-visit place for tourists.