Miyajima island in Japan imposes a tourist tax after G7 leaders’ arrival.

The tax of 100 yen, equivalent to 67 US cents, will be added to each visitor’s ferry fare to the island. If a traveler is interested in making multiple visits, they can purchase a 500 yen ($3.33) pass valid for one year. Residents, commuters, and students are exempt. Local officials expect the new tax to generate 140 million yen by the end of March 2024, which will be used to maintain the island, including parks and toilets, and provide free Wi-Fi.

Following the pandemic, the island's popularity was renewed when G7 leaders visited the shrine at the bloc's summit in Hiroshima. An initiative called Another Thousand Years is behind the efforts to care for and preserve Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine.

Unesco-listed Itsukushima Shrine, one of the country's most attractive and famous photo sites, is the bright-orange torii gate, which appears to float on the waters of a narrow bay at high water. It is part of a 1,400-year-old Shinto complex.

Many tourists are going to visit this unique place. However, the downside of this situation is over tourism, prompting officials to implement a tourist tax, which came into effect on October 1. Other famous Japanese places are proposing tourist levies to combat over-tourism and ensure finances for travel management and the preservation of nature, culture, and history.

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