Tourists planning their next vacation should brace themselves for higher costs as tourist taxes are surging at ten major holiday destinations. These taxes aim to mitigate the negative impacts of excessive tourism, such as environmental damage and increased costs for locals..
Why Tourist Taxes Are Rising
Leading travel website Thrillist has conducted research showing that tourist taxes are surging at ten incredibly popular destinations. These fees and daily charges are designed to deliver more of the economic benefits that tourism offers back to the host communities.
Natalia Bayona, executive director of UN Tourism, told National Geographic: “Tourist taxes can play a significant role in how destinations manage tourism flows. But the implementation of these fees is also designed to deliver more of the economic benefits that tourism offers back to the host communities.”
The application of tourist taxes varies widely. Some countries and cities add the tax to the cost of your hotel room, while others charge a flat rate. For example, Greece is considering implementing tourist taxes for cruise passengers, with a plan to charge disembarking visitors to Santorini and Mykonos €20 each. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has unveiled these plans to address issues of overtourism plaguing the popular destinations.
Current Tourist Taxes Around the World
Here is a list of current tourist taxes at various destinations:
- Amsterdam: 12.5% of overnight stay (compared to previous 7%); for cruises, tourist tax is €11 per person per day.
- Bali: 150,000 IDR (approximately £8) per person.
- Barcelona: €4 starting in October (only paid for the first seven consecutive days).
- Iceland: 333 ISK (approximately £1.85) per overnight stay; for cruises, 1000 ISK (approximately £5.50) per overnight stay.
- Manchester: £1 per room per night.
- New Zealand: From October, NZ$100 per visit to the country (about £47).
- Olhão, Portugal: €2 per night during high season (April to October) and €1 during the rest of the year (November to March) for a maximum of five nights in a row.
- Thailand: One-time fees of 300 baht (approximately £7) if arriving by air and 150 baht (approximately £3.50) if arriving by land or water.
- Venice, Italy: €5 for daily visitors (overnight travelers and locals are exempt).
- Valencia, Spain: Visitors to Valencia will soon be required to pay between 50 cents and €2 per night for a maximum of 7 nights.
Travelers should be aware of these additional costs when planning their trips to these popular destinations.