Government envisions using revenue to ease transit congestion, support tourist sites
Archived version: https://archive.is/20251112161707/https://asia.nikkei.com/business/travel-leisure/japan-eyes-tripling-departure-tax-to-grapple-with-overtourism
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Good point. You can and should always have options for locals. For example, in Toronto, the public Library has free passes for members for a lot of attractions like museums, parks, the zoo, galleries etc…
Price helps the tourist bit by cutting down on visitors a bit and funding more extensive maintenance, restoration and expansion as appropriate.