Travellers leaving Japan by plane or ship will have to pay a 1,000-yen (US$9.3) departure tax starting January 7, 2019, Japanese media has reported.

The new levy was confirmed by Japan’s Parliament last week and will apply to both Japanese and foreign travellers alike. However, travellers that are just transiting through the country for a period of less than 24 hours will not be subject to the additional tax.

The levy will be added to travellers’ airfares and ship fares directly.

The government hopes to use the estimated 43 billion yen (US$400 million) the tax is expected to generate to improve tourism infrastructure and enhance rural travel destinations in the country.

Some 28.69 million foreign travellers visited Japan in 2017.

Japan is not the only country introducing new departure levies on travellers. Starting July 1, 2018 travellers departing Singapore will have to pay additional charges to fly out of Changi Airport, with the current S$34 (US$24.7) departure fee set to nearly double by 2024 to S$62.3 (US$47).

The airport aims to use this to help fund its Changi East Development.