From Tokyo, Japan and New Plymouth, New Zealand – this is Down to Business English. With your hosts Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega.
I hear it’s been really hot in Tokyo, Skip. How have you been holding up?
Oh, it has been scorching, Samantha. We’ve had some record breaking temperatures so far this summer.
I think many places are experiencing that. What are you doing to cope with the heat?
Lots of air conditioning and cold drinks. I'm also trying to stay indoors as much as possible during the peak heat hours.
Hmm. I suppose there is not much else you can do. Stay hydrated.
I will. You know, there has been a push in the media recently encouraging men to start using sun umbrellas on hot days to protect themselves from the sun. Very funny stuff.
It’s probably a good idea. But somehow I can’t see you walking around Tokyo brandishing a sun umbrella.
No, I am definitely not going to be doing that. How about you, Samantha? I bet it's much more comfortable in New Zealand, where you are.
It is! It's still winter here until near the end of September. Quite the contrast to your summer heat.
Lucky you! I could use some of that cool weather.
Why don’t you come to New Zealand for a holiday?
Hmm. That’s a nice idea, But unfortunately I will not be taking a holiday this summer.
Why not?
I’m planning on taking holidays in November so I can attend a wedding in the US.
Well that sounds nice.
Yes, I’m looking forward to it. But it means no summer holiday for me.
It’s a trade off I suppose.
However, lots of people are taking vacations this month. So many in fact that over tourism has become a serious issue in many locations around the globe.
Over tourism? It sounds like this is our business topic today.
It is. With so many people on the move this summer, over tourism is becoming a real challenge for many popular destinations.
I have seen the headlines coming out of Spain about local residents protesting against tourists.
And Spain is one of the two countries that I would like to focus on in today’s report.
What is the other country?
None other than right here in Japan.
Of course. With the yen being so weak at the moment, Japan has been experiencing a record number of visitors, which is great for the economy.
But along with the economic benefits, comes some not so insignificant problems.
Sounds interesting.
So, let’s do it. Let’s get D2B … Down to Business with Over Tourism issues in Spain and Japan.
So, Skip, let's start with Spain. What are the main issues with over tourism they are facing?
Spain has been experiencing a significant surge in tourism, with over 90 million international visitors expected in 2024.
90 million?! That’s like 20 times the population of New Zealand.
It is a large number. This rapid growth in tourism has led to several challenges, particularly in popular destinations like Barcelona, Madrid, and the Canary Islands.
For example?
The biggest issue is that the cost of living has dramatically increased, especially in terms of housing. This increase in the cost of living is displacing local residents, and turning these locations into basically theme parks for tourists.
Mm. That sounds quite serious. What measures are being taken to address these issues?
Authorities in Spain have been implementing various strategies.
For instance?
For example in June, Barcelona introduced new regulations that will gradually remove all short-term rental accommodations by 2029.
All short-term rentals? Like when a family rents out an extra room in their house on AirBnB?
Well, if that were a case of people just renting out extra bedrooms, maybe it wouldn’t be an issue. But the fact is, the majority of short-term rentals are properties that exclusively deal with tourists.
They are more profitable for property owners.
Exactly. And that in turn has put immense pressure on the housing market and has pushed rent prices out of reach of local residents.
So how will Barcelona go about removing all these short-term accommodations?
They will stop issuing licenses that permit them, and will not renew existing licenses. At the moment there are 10,000 short term-rental licenses in the city, and they expect that to be zero by 2029.
That is quite a drastic move.
It is. And it is not just Barcelona. Valencia, where tourist rentals have increased 170% since 2015 is introducing similar regulations. Although they are not banning short-term rental apartments they are making it harder for them to operate.
How so?
Short term rentals will need to offer 24 hour reception services as well as provide internet, just as hotels do.
While at the same time increasing the overhead of short-term rentals, making them less attractive business opportunities to property owners.
Valencia is also increasing the penalty on homeowners who illegally rent out rooms. They are increasing that penalty to €600,000.
€600,000?! That is one stiff fine.
It will deter people from renting out rooms under the table.
I’ve always thought that Spain was a super friendly tourist destination. That tourism made up a big part of their economy and they were very welcoming.
Oh, they are. There’s no doubt about that. Tourism on the whole accounts for approximately 16% of Spain’s GDP. And the people protesting over tourism are making it very clear that they have no issue with tourists visiting Spain. They just want the government to crack down on what they see as property investors taking advantages of loopholes in tourist regulations.
Well, it's interesting to see how they're at least trying to balance tourism with the needs of local residents. What about Japan? How is over tourism affecting things there?
Japan too has been seeing a record number of tourists.
I can imagine that with the Japanese yen being so weak at the moment, Japan is an attractive destination for international visitors.
No doubt. In the first half of 2024 alone, Japan welcomed 17.78 million foreign tourists, surpassing previous records. This influx has led to overcrowding in tourist spots like Kyoto and Tokyo.
Are there any unique strategies Japan is employing to manage over tourism?
There have been some stopgap measures like introducing a climbing fee for anyone wanting to climb Mt. Fuji. But the government is also trying to focus on promoting regional tourism to divert visitors to explore lesser-known regions of the country.
Well that is good to hear. There are many beautiful sights and places to visit throughout Japan. Not just Kyoto, Tokyo, and Mt. Fuji.
No argument from me there.
It's clear that both Spain and Japan are taking significant steps to address the challenges of over tourism.
Absolutely, Samantha. It's crucial for popular tourist destinations to find a balance between welcoming visitors and preserving the quality of life for local residents.
And on that note, I think it is time for us to get D2V … Down to Vocabulary. First up on Down to Vocabulary today is the noun, a trade off.
A very useful business term. And we should point out that the noun ‘trade off’ often collocates with the verb ‘make’. ‘To make a trade off’.
That’s right. When you make a trade off, you give up something of value, in return for something else of value.
A different benefit, exactly.
In the introduction of today’s episode, when Skip told me he was not taking a summer holiday this year because he is traveling to the US in November for a wedding, I commented that it was a trade off.
In other words, Samantha was commenting that I was giving up my summer holiday, for a holiday in November.
Can you give us a business example using ‘a trade off’, Skip?
Imagine your company is deciding whether or not to invest in new technology. Your manager might say, "Investing in this new software is a trade off. It’s expensive, but it will save us time and money in the long run."
That’s a great example. It is a very common situation for a business to make the trade off between spending a lot of money on new equipment now, and saving both time and money over a longer period of time.
Moving on, our next D2V item is the idiom to do something under the table. When you do something under the table, you are doing it secretly.
And often illegally.
Yes, things done under the table are often illegal. But the main message of this idiom is you don’t want people to see what you are doing.
Just like feeding your pet dog a piece of meat under the table while the family is having dinner. You don’t want your parents to see you doing that.
Nice mental image. In today’s episode, I used this phrase when reporting on the penalties for homeowners in Valencia who illegally rent out rooms to tourists. I said the increase in the fine to €600,000 will deter people from renting out rooms under the table.
Skip was saying that huge fine will stop people from renting out their rooms illegally.
Can you give us an example of this idiom in a business context, Samantha?
With you living in Japan, I’m sure you are familiar with the concept of a Black Company?
Sure. A Black Company is one that exploits its workers. Paying them very low salaries and making them work very, very long hours.
One way to spot a Black Company is they pay their employees under the table, in cash, to avoid paying taxes to the government.
That is a risky practice! For both the employee and the business.
Have you ever had an experience with Black Companies in Japan, Skip?
Not directly, no. But I have heard stories from friends who have had bad experiences with Black Companies. Fortunately, I think with the introduction of the My Number system in Japan, it has become almost impossible for Black Companies to operate these days.
I would hope so.
What is our next word?
Next, we have the term a stopgap measure. A stopgap measure is a temporary solution to a problem that is used until a more permanent solution can be found. In the report, Skip said that there have been some stopgap measures put in place in Japan to deal with over tourism.
That’s right. I used the example of a climbing fee for anyone wanting to climb Mt. Fuji.
Skip was saying that charging a fee to climb Mount Fuji was just a temporary solution to reduce the number of people climbing the Mountain while the government works on a more permanent, longer lasting solution. Do you really think this fee is going to be temporary?
Probably not. But it definitely won’t prevent over tourism, so it still can be referred to as a stopgap measure. What would be a business-related example using ‘stopgap measure’?
A company might use a stopgap measure when they face a sudden shortage of staff. For example, they might hire temporary workers as a stopgap measure until they can recruit permanent employees.
Perfect example.
Thank you.
Our next and final item for D2V today is the verb to divert. When something is diverted, or when you divert something, you change its direction or its focus. In my report I said that the Japanese government is trying to divert visitors to lesser-known regions of the country.
In other words, the government is trying to get tourists to direct their attention away from Kyoto, Tokyo, and Mt. Fuji, and toward lesser-known, but still beautiful areas of the country.
In a business context, if a company wants to stay competitive, they might divert their resources away from Research and Development and into Marketing and Advertising.
Really? How can a business stay competitive if they are not creating new products?
That is a very good question Samantha. And one that many companies have to deal with everyday.
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And that is our report on over tourism in Spain and Japan.
Thanks for all that information Skip. It makes you think of what a hassle summer vacations can be sometimes.
I know, for both tourists and local residents.
Are you noticing a difference in the number of foreign tourists in Tokyo?
I’m definitely seeing more tourists on the trains and subways. But Tokyo is always so crowded anyway that I don’t see any real impact from over tourism.
A benefit to living in an already busy city.
I suppose. D2B Members and Apple Podcast subscribers, the Bonus vocabulary episode for today’s D2B episode is in the pipeline and will be released very shortly.
Apple Podcast subscribers?
Yes, there are now two ways to enjoy Down to Business English bonus content. Either as a D2B Member through the D2B website, or if you listen through the Apple Podcast app, you can subscribe to bonus content directly through Apple Podcasts.
Is there a difference between being a D2B Member versus an Apple Podcast subscriber?
Yes, there is. Subscribing through the Apple Podcast app gives you access to all our bonus Down to Vocabulary episodes and D2B Member - only episodes. If you become a D2B Member through the website, of course you get all the bonus podcast content, but you also get access to our interactive audio scripts as well as the entire PDF Audio Script library.
Got it. With a D2B Membership from the website you get the bonus content and access to the interactive audio scripts and PDF Audio Script Library.
Exactly.
But both options get you the Bonus D2V and the Member-only episodes.
That’s right.
And what words will we be looking at in the Bonus Vocabulary episode in today’s report?
The words and phrases we will focus on in the next Bonus D2V episode will be — to cope with something, to brandish, to go about doing something, an influx, and to employ a strategy.
So, if you are a D2B member, that bonus D2V episode will be released on your Members-only RSS feed so you want to be sure to visit your Member’s account on the D2B website and get that RSS feed. And if you are an Apple Podcast subscriber?
If you are an Apple Podcast subscriber you don’t need to do anything. The bonus D2V episode will appear automatically in your Apple Podcast app as soon as it is released. And if you are not a D2B member or an Apple Subscriber, please do consider becoming one. They are both great ways to support Down to Business English.
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Take care.
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