Valencia’s new government is to reverse plans to impose a tourism tax in 2024. The tax of between 50 cents and €2 per night depended on their choice of accommodation for up to seven nights. Here is a roundup of what tourists can expect to pay in tourist taxes:
- Austria charges an overnight accommodation tax, the Tourismusgesetz and Berherbergungsbeiträge, that varies by province. In Vienna or Salzburg, the tax is an extra 3.02% of the hotel bill per person.
- Barcelona has already increased its tourist tax in 2023 and will further raise it to €3.25 on April 1, 2024. The tax applies to visitors staying in official tourist accommodation.
- Belgium has a tourist tax applied to accommodation of around €7.50 for each night you stay, included in the room rate or charged separately, so it’s important to check your bill. Antwerp and Bruges charge a rate per room, while in Brussels, the rate varies based on the hotel’s size and rating.
- Bhutan’s minimum daily fee for most foreigners is $250 (€228) per person per day during high season, slightly less in low season. This fee covers accommodation, transportation, a guide, food, and entry fees.
- Bulgaria applies a low tourist fee of around €1.50 on overnight stays, depending on the area and hotel classification.
- Caribbean Islands: Countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, and others charge fees ranging from €13 to €45.
- Croatia increased its tourist tax in 2019, but it only applies during the peak summer season. Visitors pay around 10 kuna (€1.33) per person per night.
- Czech Republic tourist fees are only applicable in the Czech Republic’s capital, Prague. The fee is small, under €1, and is paid per person, per night, up to 60 nights. It doesn’t apply to children under 18.
- France has a “taxe de séjour” added to hotel bills, varying by city. Rates range from €0.20 to around €4 per person, per night. Paris recently received approval to raise the tax by up to 200%, possibly resulting in a nightly fee over €11 for a double room at a five-star hotel from January 2024
- Germany has a “culture tax” (a kulturförderabgabe), and also a “bed tax” (a bettensteuer), in cities such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin. The fees amount to around 5% of your hotel bill.
- Greece has a tourist tax based on hotel stars or number of rooms of up to €4 per room and was introduced to help reduce the country’s debt.
- Hungary: applies tourist fees in Budapest of an extra 4% every night based on the price of their room.
- Ibiza and Majorca have a tourist tax called the Sustainable Tourist Tax, applicable to holiday accommodations and each person aged 16 or over. During the high season, the tax can reach up to €4 per night.Venice is considering introducing its own tax in the summer of 2022.
- Indonesia applies a torus tax in Bali of around €9.
- Japan imposes a departure tax on visitors of 1,000 yen (around €8) per person.
- Malaysia has a flat-rate tourist tax applied per night of stay of €4 per night.
- Netherlands has both a land tourist tax and a water tourist tax. In Amsterdam, the land tourist tax, called toeristenbelasting, currently amounts to 7% of the cost of a hotel room. In 2024, it will increase to 12.5%, making it the highest tourist tax in Europe. The tax applies to both cruise passengers and overnight visitors.
- New Zealand’s International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of $35 New Zealand dollars, equivalent to around €21,is paid upon arrival. Australians are exempt from the levy.
- Olhão, Portugal implemented a tourist tax in 2023. Visitors are charged €2 per night between April and October, and €1 per night between November and March, with a cap at five nights per trip.
- Portugal has a tourist tax per night per person and applicable to guests aged 13 and over.
- Rome charges a fee ranging from €3 to €7 per night, depending on the room type.
- Slovenian cities and resort towns, such as Ljubljana and Bled, have a tax of around €3. The tax amount may differ in other parts of the country.
- Switzerland: The tourist tax varies depending on the location in Switzerland and is charged per night and per person. On average, it is around €2.20. Quotes for accommodation in Switzerland usually do not include the tourist tax. It is specified as a separate amount, making it easier to keep track of. The tax applies to stays under 40 days.
- Thailand: Thailand is set to introduce a tourist fee of 300 Baht (€8) in 2023. The fee will be used to take care of tourists and finance developments of tourist attractions.
- The tax is around €2 and is currently in effect in 13 of Portugal’s 308 municipalities, including Porto, Lisbon, and Faro. It is only required for the first seven days of your stay.
- USA: In most parts of the United States, a hotel tax or lodging tax, also known as an occupancy tax, is charged for travellers staying in rented accommodations. The fees apply to hotels, motels, and inns across the country. The highest tax rate is Houston, where a 17% tax is levied on your hotel bill.
- Venice, Italy: Venice will start charging tourists who visit for the day in 2024. The exact dates for the introduction of the tourist tax are yet to be confirmed.
