Japanese restaurants: "not charging tourists more, just charging locals less"
Japanese restaurants are adopting differential pricing, offering discounts to locals while charging tourists standard rates, in response to rising tourism and demand for resources, aiming to balance local needs and economic benefits.
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Japanese restaurants are implementing differential pricing strategies, offering discounts to local customers while maintaining standard prices for tourists. This approach has emerged in response to a surge in tourism following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and a weakened yen, which has made Japan an attractive destination for international visitors. Shogo Yonemitsu, owner of a seafood grill in Tokyo, emphasizes that the pricing is not discriminatory but necessary for operational reasons, as the influx of tourists has increased the demand for English-speaking staff and other resources.
Visitor numbers to Japan reached a record 17.78 million in the first half of 2024, prompting some regions to introduce tourist taxes and visitor caps to manage the impact of overtourism. Experts suggest that differential pricing can help retain local customers while accommodating the growing tourist demand. Some businesses are creatively targeting tourists with premium offerings, such as high-priced ramen dishes.
While this pricing model is relatively new in Japan, it is common in other tourist-heavy regions worldwide. The approach aims to balance the needs of local patrons with the economic benefits of tourism, ensuring that local businesses can thrive amidst the challenges posed by increased visitor numbers.
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8 commentsI've seen businesses in the US use the exact same "logic". It's disingenuous because there's zero logical difference between charging party A more than party B and charging party B less than party A.
> “We need (this pricing system) for cost reasons,” Yonemitsu said.
I understand the practice and genuinely think it's perfectly acceptable. But to explain it in that way is deceptive.
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