Japan’s visa fee rise favors local travel

A business group representing tourism stakeholders sees a silver lining in Japan’s planned increase in visa fees: a potential surge in domestic travel as more Filipinos rediscover the country’s world-class destinations.

According to Japanese news agency Jiji Press, the Japanese government, in a Cabinet meeting on Friday chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, approved a fivefold increase in visa application fees for tourists seeking to visit Japan. The fee will be increased from the current 3,000 yen (P1,100) to 15,000 yen (P5,600) for a single-entry visa and from 6,000 yen (P2,200) to 30,000 yen (P11,300) for a multiple-entry visa, marking the first revision of the visa fees in 48 years, since 1978.

Defending the decision, which will apply to applications submitted on or after 1 July, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the increase was due to rising prices and added that he does not expect it to have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.