As of: March 14, 2024, 8:17 p.m
By: Sandra Sporer
Comments
Press
Split
As here at a railway crossing in Fujisawa City that is often overrun by tourists, the behavior of guests is also a recurring problem in Kyoto.
This now has consequences for holidaymakers.
© Yosuke Tanaka/IMAGO
Many well-known holiday destinations are now taking action against rowdy tourists with bans.
After residents complained, a city is now pulling the ripcord.
Kyoto – You would actually think that as a guest you would also want to leave a good impression on your hosts.
However, more and more tourists don't seem to care.
More and more holiday destinations around the world are now pulling the ripcord in one way or another due to this trend.
Often in the form of bans that criminalize tourists' bad behavior.
In Kyoto, however, even this has not worked and the city in Japan is now forced to take even tougher measures in the geisha district of Gion.
Kyoto is “not an amusement park” – after residents complain, the district is closed to tourists
Tourists had repeatedly harassed the geishas while they were working and taken photos of them without asking.
City council member Isokazu Ota said some of the holidaymakers were behaving like amateur paparazzi.
A ban on taking photos with the geishas and instructions to keep their distance and not touch the expensive kimonos - often unique pieces - had no effect.
Now the residents are fed up.
Kyoto is “not an amusement park,” the
Guardian
quotes the statement of an association of the district’s residents.
They called on the city to finally act.
The side streets of Kyoto's Gion district should always be so quiet in the future.
The city will prohibit holidaymakers from entering here in the future.
© Korn Vitthayanukarun/Pond5 Images/IMAGO
Kyoto city closes streets to holidaymakers and introduces 10,000 yen fine
And that's exactly what the city has done.
The plan is now to close the small side streets to visitor traffic in the future.
Many of these are privately owned and will restrict who can use them in the future.
The change will come into force next month.
“We are going to put up signs in April that tell tourists to stay out of our private streets,” the
Associated Press
(AP) news agency quoted Isokazu Ota as saying.
The signs should say that it is a private street that you should not enter.
Both in Japanese and English.
The request is not just a polite request.
Anyone who ignores the signs must pay a fine of 10,000 yen (around 62 euros).
However, the larger main streets are still open to tourists.
Italy is also fighting against overtourism with all its might.
For example, more and more popular beaches charge an entrance fee.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam is cracking down on stoner tourism with bans.
(
sp
)