This year, international travel is forecast to bounce back to the highest levels since 2019 – and while that’s great news for the tourism industry in general, many cities, attractions and entire regions are suffering under the weight of overtourism.
The potential for damage to historic sites, unhinged tourist behaviour and the simple issue of overcrowding are all common consequences of overtourism. That’s why a growing list of popular travel destinations have introduced a tourist tax, with the hopes of controlling visitor numbers and improving local infrastructure to better cater to higher visitor capacity.
Many countries and cities introduced a tourist tax in 2023, and many more are due to launch theirs in 2024. Tourist taxes aren’t a new thing – you’ve probably paid one before, tied in with the cost of a plane ticket or the taxes you pay at a hotel.
However, more destinations than ever before are creating this fee for tourists, and many places have increased the cost of existing ones. Here’s a full list of all the destinations charging a tourist tax in 2024, including all the recently introduced and upcoming tourist taxes you need to know about.
Austria
Austria charges visitors a nightly accommodation tax which differs depending on province. In Vienna or Salzburg, you could pay 3.02 percent per person on top of the hotel bill.
Belgium
Belgium, like Austria, has a nightly fee. Some hotels include it in the rate of the room and add it separately to your bill, so read it carefully.
The rate in Brussels is charged per room, and varies depending on the size and rating of your hotel, but is usually around €7.50. Antwerp also charges per room.
Bhutan
Bhutan has always been known for its steep tourist taxes and charges. In 2022, the Himalayan kingdom tripled the amount it charged visitors in tax to a minimum of $200 per day, but that amount has since been lowered. In 2024, the daily fee for the majority of visitors is $100, and that is due to continue until August 31, 2027.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria applies a fee to overnight stays, but it reaches a maximum of only €1.50.
Caribbean Islands
The following Caribbean Islands charge a tourist tax, ranging from between €13 to €45: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands.
The tax tends to be tied into the cost of a hotel or a departure fee.
Croatia
Croatia only charges its visitors a fee of 10 kuna (€1.33) per night during peak season.
Czechia (also known as Czech Republic)
Czechia only applies a fee to those travelling to Prague. It doesn’t apply to those under the age of 18, and is less than €1 per person, per night.
France
France’s ‘taxe de séjour’ varies depending on city, and tends to be added to your hotel bill. It varies from €0.20 to €4 per person, per night.
Earlier this month, Paris announced it would be increasing its fee by up to 200 percent for those staying in hotels, Airbnbs, and campsites, but that it plans to put the funds towards improving the city’s services and infrastructure.
READ MORE: The cost of visiting Paris will soar this summer – here’s why
Germany
Germany charges visitors a ‘culture tax’ (kulturförderabgabe) and a ‘bed tax’ (bettensteuer) in certain cities, including Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin, which tends to be around five percent of your hotel bill.
Greece
Greece’s tourist tax is based on numbers. Specifically, how many stars a hotel has, and the number of rooms you’re renting. The fee was introduced by the Greek Ministry of tourism to help pay off the country’s debt, and can be anything from €4 per room.
Hungary
Hungary charges visitors four percent of the price of their room, but only in Budapest.
Iceland
Iceland is introducing a tourist tax to protect its ‘unspoilt nature’ this year, which will cost between €4 to €7 per night. It comes after annual tourist numbers reached an estimated 2.3 million per year.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, the only destination which charges a tourist tax is Bali, and the fee is set to increase this February to $10 (£7.70, €8.90, IDR 150,000) – but is a one-time entry fee, not a nightly tax. It apparently goes towards protecting the island’s ‘environment and culture.’
Italy
Much like in France, Italy’s tourist tax varies depending on your location. Rome’s fee is usually between €3 to €7 per night, but some smaller Italian towns charge more.
Venice finally announced in September that its tourist tax, a €5 (£4.30, $5.40) fee which will be applicable on various days during high season, will launch in 2024. It only applies to day-trippers rather than those staying overnight, though.
Japan
Japan has a departure tax of around 1,000 yen (€8).
Malaysia
Malaysia has a flat-rate tax which it applies to each night you stay, of around €4 a night.
New Zealand
New Zealand’s tax comes in the from of an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of around €21 which much be paid upon arrival, but that does not apply to people from Australia.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has both a land and water tax. Amsterdam is set to increase its fee by 12.5 percent in 2024, making it the highest tourist tax in the European Union.
Portugal
Portugal has a low tourist tax of €2, which applies to all those over the age of 13. It’s only applicable on the first seven nights of your visit and applies in 13 Portuguese municipalities, including Faro, Lisbon and Porto.
Olhão became the latest area to start charging the fee between April and October. Outside of this period, it gets reduced to €1 and is capped at five nights all year round. The money goes towards minimising the impact of tourism in the Algarve town.
Slovenia
Slovenia also bases its tax on location and hotel rating. In larger cities and resorts, such as Ljubljana and Bled, the fee is higher, but still only around €3 per night.
Spain
Spain applies its Sustainable Tourism Tax to holiday accommodation in the Balearic Islands to each visitor over the age of sixteen. Tourists can be charged up to €4 per night during high season.
Barcelona’s city authorities announced they plan to increase the city’s tourist tax over the next two years – the fee is set to rise to €3.25 on April 1, 2024. The council said the money would go towards improving infrastructure and services. This is in addition to regional Catalan tax.
Switzerland
Switzerland’s tax varies depending on location, but the per person, per night cost is around €2.20. It tends to be specified as a separate amount on your accommodation bill.
Thailand
Thailand introduced a tourist tax to the price of flights in April 2022, in a similar effort to the Balinese aim of moving away from its rep as a ‘cheap’ holiday destination. The fee for all international visitors is 300 baht (£6.60, $9).
US
The US has an ‘occupancy tax’ which applies across most of the country to travellers renting accommodation such as hotels, motels and inns. Houston is estimated to be the highest, where they charge you an extra 17 percent of your hotel bill.
Hawaii could be imposing a ‘green fee’ – initially set at $50 but since lowered to $25 – which would apply to every tourist over the age of 15. It still needs to be passed by lawmakers, but if approved, it wouldn’t be instated until 2025.
The European Union
Finally, the European Union is planning on introducing a tourist visa, due to start in 2024. The €7 application will have to be filled out by all non-Schengen visitors between the ages of 18 and 70, including Brits and Americans.
READ MORE: Why sustainable tourism isn’t enough anymore
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