Bears and pest control: how Japan is spending its departure tax windfall

AI Summary

Japan plans to allocate funds from increased departure tax revenues to projects aimed at tourism support, including bear attack prevention and invasive beetle eradication. Critics argue that these measures offer limited direct benefits to travelers despite the large sums collected.

Billions of yen from a higher departure tax that Japan plans to use to support tourism are being channelled into projects that critics say offer limited direct benefit to travellers, including measures to prevent bear attacks and eradicate an invasive beetle. The Japanese government expects to raise 130 billion yen (US$817.7 million) in the 2026 financial year from the International Tourist Tax, after increasing the levy last year on anyone leaving the country through an airport or seaport. The...