Tochigi Nasushiobara raises bath tax for employees through regular PCR inspection

Bath tax increase for employees due to regular PCR inspection Tochigi Nasushiobara September 28, 17:23

Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture, will conduct regular inspections of the new coronavirus for employees of accommodation facilities in the city, and a bill to revise the ordinance to raise the bath tax as a financial resource is on the 28th. It was passed by the city council.

Starting next month, Nasushiobara City will conduct virus tests such as PCR tests once a month for those who wish to be among the employees of hotels and inns in the city so that tourists can come with peace of mind. I have decided.

Part of the inspection cost will be borne by the city, and a bill to revise the ordinance to raise the bath tax as a financial resource was proposed to the Nasushiobara city council and voted on the 28th.

Initially, the city submitted a proposal to raise the bath tax by 200 yen uniformly, but there were voices from the lodging business operators concerned about leaving guests, and then the parliament revised it to raise it according to the accommodation fee. It was.

The revised content is that from December to March next year, the bath tax will be increased by 50 yen if the accommodation fee is 10,000 yen or less, 100 yen if it is 20,000 yen or less, and 200 yen if it is more than that. I will.

At the plenary session on the 28th, a member of the Diet who disagreed, saying, "The PCR test is not a proof of safety and it is unclear whether tourists agree with it," but as a result of the vote, it was passed by a majority. I did.

According to Nasushiobara City, it is rare in Japan for accommodation facility employees to carry out regular virus tests.

Mayor Michitaro Watanabe said, "I think it was the best decision at the moment. The Go To campaign will start in Tokyo in October, and many customers will come, but I want to respond to the concerns of the citizens with a thorough system." I'm talking to you.

The local hot spring inn

Saburo Tanaka, the president of the Shiobara Onsen Ryokan Cooperative, who has opposed the increase in response to the passage of the amendment to the ordinance to raise the bath tax, said after listening to the plenary session, "I have consistently opposed it, but the city and the city It is very disappointing that the parliament did not answer and it was passed quietly. It is not possible to answer the customer's question to raise the bath tax even though some accommodations oppose the inspection itself. " did.

On the other hand, Takayuki Muroi, the head of the Itamuro Onsen Ryokan Association, who is in favor of inspections and raising the bath tax, said, "Please come because it is safe and secure by conducting regular inspections to become a hot spring resort and tourist destination of choice." I think it's really wonderful to say that. There is no choice but to raise the bath tax, and we want our customers to understand it. "

The story so far

It was July this year that Nasushiobara City announced that it would carry out regular PCR tests on accommodation facility employees.

At a press conference, Mayor Michitaro Watanabe said that it was necessary to "visualize" infection prevention measures, and to conduct PCR tests on employees of hotels and inns in the city and to use them to finance the test costs. He expressed his intention to raise the bath tax, and from August, the city has been conducting a trial at the expense.

The city aims to appeal that the accommodation facilities are safe and secure by inspecting the employees, to have many customers come, and to have the local citizens feel at ease.

However, there was also strong opposition from the people involved.

In August, the inn cooperative of Shiobara Onsen, one of the leading hot spring towns in Tochigi prefecture, conducted a questionnaire to 48 affiliated facilities. ▽ Half of 24 facilities opposed regular inspections, ▽ To raise bath tax , 32 facilities opposed.

In the questionnaire, there were voices concerned about the decrease in tourists due to the positive test and the increase in bath tax, and the union requested that the PCR test be reviewed and the bath tax increase be stopped based on this result. I submitted the book to the city.

For this reason, the city side proposed to withdraw the amendment of the ordinance proposed to the city council regarding the increase in bath tax, but the city council did not approve the withdrawal, and the council revised it to a plan to increase the amount of increase. It was.