20 local gov'ts including Hokkaido introduce new lodging tax

Twenty local governments including Hokkaido and Hiroshima prefectures on Wednesday introduced a new lodging tax for people staying in hotels and other accommodations.The move more than doubles the number of local governments adopting the tax system from 19 previously, highlighting a growing effort to improve tourism infrastructure and address overtourism as the number of foreign visitors rises.In Hokkaido, northern Japan, a prefecture-wide system has been implemented, with visitors charged a tax ranging from 100 yen ($0.6) to 500 yen, depending on the cost of their accommodation.In addition…READ FULL ARTICLE