Vocabulary:
- fascinate /fas-uh-neyt/
- phenomenal /fi-nom-uh-nl/
- record-high /rek-erd-hahy/
- expend /ik-spend/
- impose /im-pohz/
[verb] to interest someone a lot
The beauty of the moon always fascinates her.
[adjective] extremely successful or special, especially in a surprising way
Receiving his first award as a fiction writer is a phenomenal experience for him.
[adjective] the highest amount or level that something has ever reached
The flower shop hit its record-high sales in February.
[verb] to use or spend time, effort, or money
Last year, I expended a lot of money on concert tickets.
[verb] to officially force a rule, tax, punishment, etc. to be obeyed or received
The manager wants to impose a new rule regarding the use of mobile phones during office hours.
Roman Coppola, an American filmmaker, said, “Japan is the most intoxicating place for me. The Japanese culture fascinates me: the food, the dress, the manners, and the traditions. It’s the travel experience that has moved me the most.” Do you share the same thoughts with him? Is traveling to Japan a phenomenal experience?
In 2018, a lot of foreign tourists visited Japan and spent a record-high 4.51 trillion yen ($41.5 billion) compared to what they reached from the previous year. Tourism in the country is expanding in figures based on the initial report from the government. According to Japan Tourism Agency, a tourist is spending 153,000 yen per visit. In 2018, 31.19 million foreign vacationists came to stay in Japan.
Travelers from China ranked first and spent 1.54 trillion yen, followed by South Koreans who spent 584.2 billion yen. Tourists from Taiwan expended 583.9 billion yen while travelers from Hong Kong and United States spent 335.5 billion yen and 289 billion yen.
Japan imposed an increase in departure tax as they started collecting 1,000 yen from foreign holidaymakers. This is to reach the necessary amount to fund the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Comprehension Questions:
- Why did Japan increase the departure tax from foreign tourists?
- According to the article, how much does a person spend when visiting Japan?
- How many foreign visitors stayed in Japan in 2018?
- Based on the initial report, how much money did foreign travelers spend in Japan in 2018?
- Which country is the highest spender?
Discussion Questions:
- Is traveling to Japan expensive? Why or why not?
- Why do you think many foreign tourists choose Japan as their travel destination?
- In your opinion, besides Japan, what countries do foreign tourists visit the most?
- Do you spend a lot of money when traveling overseas? Why or why not?
- How are you going to promote Japan in order to captivate more foreign tourists?