News

Miyajima Island in Japan will now impose a tourist tax.

Now, to explore Japan’s gorgeous Miyajima Island, also known as Itsukushima, the outsiders will have to pay a tourist tax.The island is a must visit for tourists and travellers visiting the city of Hiroshima in Japan as it only a short ferry ride away from the city. It makes for a perfect excursion and is extremely popular among people visiting the region. Taro Matsumoto, addressing a press conference, said that “It is necessary to secure new financial resources in order to continuously maintain quality of the Island as a tourist spot.” Adding to his statement, he said that the tourist tax will begin by the spring of 2021. As of now, the government plans to impose ¥100 or $1 or INR 65 as a Tourist Tax or Admission Fee for Miyajima Island. The tax fee might be collected in three practical ways: 1) By charging every traveller traveling by ferry. 2) By increasing the tax for the ferry operators. 3) By charging tax on to the guests once they use facilities on the island. It’s not the first time that a destination has decided to impose a tax on tourists to combat overtourism. All over Asia, governments are trying to deal with the negative effects of overtourism. By putting extra entry fees, they are trying to stop the long-term damages incurred by travellers.

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United Airlines Inaugurates Non-Stop Cape Town Service.

The Points Guy reports that flight UA1122 was the first time that any airline has operated a non-stop service from North America to the South African legislative capital. This seasonal operation currently departs Newark three days a week. It departs at 20:30 on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The journey takes 14.5 hours, arriving in Cape Town at 18:00 the next day. The return journey departs at 20:50 every Monday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving at 05:45 the next day. This is a positive initiative for travelers in the United States looking to travel to South Africa. It had recently reconfigured its 767 aircraft on flights from London to the US to help serve customers within these growing markets.According to Heritage, South Africa’s GDP is $765.6 billion. It also is seeing a 1.3 percent growth, along with a 1.5 percent 5-year compound annual growth. Moreover, shifts in consumer habits within Africa could cause the continent’s aviation market to double in the next 20 years. Therefore, United is making sure to keep ahead of changes in the industry in the new decade.

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Tourism in Assam hit by stir against Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The tourism industry in Assam has been hit by the recent protests in the state against the new citizenship law, with many prospective visitors cancelling their bookings.However, the state government and stakeholders concerned are trying to allay the fears of the visitors and instil confidence in them in visiting the northeastern state. “Many tourists were stranded during the protests and the subsequent curfew imposed in some districts. But, we made sure that they do not face any difficulty during their stay. The TOAA president said the initiatives taken by the tourism department to ensure the safety of visitors during the stir have sent positive vibes to prospective travellers. Chairman of the Northeast chapter Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) Arijit Purkayastha said transport and hospitality sectors of the industry have been affected, particularly due to suspension of internet services. Several tourists were stranded in Kaziranga, Cherrapunjee and Majuli but it was made sure that they were escorted to hotels, airports and railway stations, Cruise services for tourists on River Brahmaputra has been also affected due to the stir. She assured visitors not to be scared and vowed to take utmost care of them. The stakeholders in the industry said the losses incurred due to the violent protests can only be ascertained after the end of the tourist season.

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Beach shacks make interesting debut in Odisha.

Odisha’s Marine Drive Eco Retreat is set to get beach shacks for the first time, thereby providing visitors a perfect opportunity to enjoy the beach and its ambience. Set up by the Odisha Government, these beach shacks have been built in a bid to promote tourism in this part of the country. Envisioned by the Odisha Tourism Department, the beach shacks boast of a refreshing ambience coupled with great music, delicious food, chilled alcohol; all of these with the backdrop of sand and sound of gushing waves. As of now, there are four shacks, which will remain open from 8 AM to 11 PM. These shacks are open to all who visit the Marine Drive Eco Retreat from December 18, 2019, to January 31, 2020. Every day at 6 PM there will be an amazing cultural event and a light and sound show. The primary motive behind setting up these shacks to give all the visitors, other than the in-house guests, a chance to visit and soak in the ambience of the sea and Marine Drive Eco Retreat. He also added that with Christmas and New Year just around the corner, it is expected that this spot will start attracting more visitors in the coming days.

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The incredibly popular Scottish Highlands could now levy a tourism tax on visitors.

The Scottish Highlands could become the first place in the UK where a tourism tax is going to be introduced. So far, a tourism tax of 1 Pound has been approved by the Highland Council. The charge is being called a Transient Visitor Levy, or TVL. The reason for such a charge, or tourism tax, is to keep the villages and towns of the region in good condition. It has been estimated that the annual TVL amount could reach somewhere upto 10 million Pounds a year, and this money can then be used for the betterment of the towns and villages in the region. The tourism tax could begin from 2021. The Scottish Highland is heavily dependent on tourism, as it is evident from the numbers. Last year alone, some 6.5 million people visited the region; this could now change due to the tourism tax that is going to be implemented from 2021.

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Tourist Advice : Elephant rides considered ‘Unacceptable’.

UK’s largest association has now labelled direct contact between tourists and elephants which also includes riding and bathing them as ‘unaccpetable’. The Animal Welfare Guidelines has been update by Abta which remains applicable to all member tour operators and travel agents, Apart from outlawing elephant interaction without a barrier between animals and tourists, the association further categorized feeding great apes, bears, crocodiles, alligators, orca, and sloths as “unacceptable”. Along with this feeding, contact and walking with wild cats was also outlawed. In order to strengthen the guidelines for animals the association has since consulted with organization which includes World Animal Protection, Humane Society International, Born Free Foundation, World Cetacean Alliance, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Julie Middelkoop, global campaigns lead at World Animal Protection said that the clear advice that it is unacceptable to use elephants for shows,rides, bathing or any other form of tourist contact without a barrier is a real breakthrough. Clare Jenkinson, Abta’s senior destinations and sustainability manager went on saying that Abta Members have led the way on animal welfare by implementing Abta’s guidelines for a number of years, and others in the industry from around the world use Abta’s guidelines as the basis for their animal welfare policies. There is an increased awareness of the damaging impact the tourism industry can have on animal welfare. Earlier, Trip Advisor had announced that it would stop selling tickets to attractions that use captive whales or dolphins.

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