Tourist taxes are nothing new – countries like Spain, France and Italy have had local taxes in place for years. Their purpose is to mitigate the growing problem of overtourism, and plenty of countries across Europe have introduced extra tourist fees in recent years. You can see a full list of countries charging a tourist tax here.
Next on the list? Norway, a destination popular for cruises, fjords and ‘coolcations’. While the introduction of a tax still needs parliamentary approval, Norway’s proposed bill would allow individual municipalities to charge a three percent tax on overnight stays, which reflects how varied the tourism challenges across the country are.
If a municipality implements the tax, anyone staying there in a hotel, campsite or short-term holiday rental would be required to pay it – and the charge could be in place as soon as this summer.
This proposal comes after Norway had a record-breaking 2024 in terms of overnight stays – according to Forbes, there were 38 million.
The idea is to give local authorities the tools to fund infrastructure and services put under strain by ever-growing numbers of tourists. Any region that opts to charge the levy would be required to work with the tourism industry and decide how the money will be spent. According to the proposal, any money raised must be allocated to tourism-related ‘common goods’ such as signage, trail maintenance and public loos.
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‘We know not every municipality needs this, but in high-pressure areas, it’s about building trust between the local population and visitors,’ Norway’s trade and industry minister Cecilie Myrseth said to NRK.
Some controversy has already arisen from the proposal – the rate was initially going to be five percent and was lowered to three percent after lots of tourism stakeholders said the former was too high. For some context, the three percent levy on an $140-per night hotel room would result in an additional $4.10.
It’s also been criticised for letting day-trippers, cruise passengers and people in camper vans ‘off the hook’, given they are still having an impact on some of Norway’s most visited areas but won’t be required to pay.
However, the government has reportedly implied that it’s considering a separate framework for contributions from cruise passengers sometime soon.
Keep an eye on this page for updates, and have a look at our brilliant guides on all the best things to do in Oslo and across Norway.
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