Here is everything you need to know because we did the research for you.
This year, traveller numbers have virtually returned to pre-pandemic levels, which has boosted popular tourism destinations that suffered during COVID-19 restrictions and closures.
However, some well-known tourist destinations are already worried that overtourism-related issues will recur.
Due to this, some decided to enact a “tourist tax” in 2022, while others want to do it this year.
But if you’ve travelled abroad, chances are you’ve already paid one of the many tourist taxes that are already in place. Since it is occasionally incorporated into airline tickets or the taxes you pay at your hotel, you may not have ever noticed it.
Here is all the information you want about the nations whose entry fees you must pay since we did the research for you.
In 2023, Barcelona will raise its tourism tax.
The mayor of Barcelona has announced an increase in the tourist fee for the next two years.
The regional tourist tax and an additional city-wide levy have both been required on visitors to the Catalan capital since 2012.
The municipal charge has now been increased, according to local officials. Visitors will have to pay €2.75 as of April 1, 2023.
On April 1, 2024, there will be a second increase, bringing the cost up to €3.25.
Visitors staying in authorised tourist accommodations are subject to the levy.
The city’s infrastructure, including upgrades to the roads, bus services, and escalators, would be paid for with the revenues, according to the council.
In 2023, Valencia will start charging a visitor fee.
The city of Valencia has declared that it would impose a tourist tax on visitors who stay in any sort of lodging in the area, including hotels, hostels, residences, and camping grounds.
At the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024, it will take effect.
Depending on the lodging they select, visitors will be required to pay between 50 cents and €2 each night for up to seven nights.
According to the authorities, the charge would support the tourist industry’s sustainable growth in the area. Additionally, the money will be used to build more affordable housing for locals in tourist areas.
Thailand will start charging visitors by the end of 2022.
At the end of this year, Thailand will reportedly start charging tourists 300 Baht (about $8).
According to the head of Thailand’s Tourism Authority, a portion of the cost would “be used to take care of tourists” because there have been instances where their health insurance hasn’t covered them.
Additionally, it will assist in funding the expansion of popular tourist destinations like Bangkok’s Grand Palace.
In 2023, Venice will enact a visitor charge.
Venetian authorities may soon start charging visitors starting in the summer of 2023.
In August, the Italian daily La Stampa stated that several mechanisms, including an online booking system, have been suggested to regulate the number of tourists. But additional measures, such as a fee to enter the city, must be taken to reduce the population.
Depending on whether it is low season or peak season, the proposed fee would range from €3 to €10.
In 2023, the EU will enact a tourist visa.
Non-EU nationals, such as Americans, Australians, Britons, and other visitors from outside the Schengen region, will have to submit a €7 application by November 2023 in order to enter.
No money is required for those who are over 70 or under the age of 18.
These are all the nations where there is already an entrance tax for tourists.
For a number of reasons, there are already tourist fees in existence in many nations.
Some people believe it has to do with attempting to reduce the number of visitors and avoid overtourism.
Others see it as a kind of visitor fee for sustainability. These levies provide funding for maintaining tourism infrastructure and safeguarding natural resources.
Austria
In Austria, there is a province-specific overnight lodging tax that you must pay. You’ll pay an additional 3.02 percent per person on the hotel bill in Vienna or Salzburg.
Other names for the tourist levy include Berherbergungsbeiträge and Tourismusgesetz.
Belgium
For each night you stay in Belgium, the tourist tax is also charged on your lodging.
Sometimes the price is included in the hotel room rate, but some hotels separate the cost and add it as an extra charge, so you should carefully review your statement.
There is a fee for each room in Antwerp and Bruges. The cost in Brussels varies according to the size and star grade of the hotel.
It typically costs €7.50.
Bhutan
Bhutan’s tax is astronomically high in compared to most other nations’ visitor levies, which hover around €20.
Most international visitors pay a minimum daily charge of $250 (€228) per person per day during peak season and a little less during low season.
However, it includes a lot, such as lodging, local transportation, a guide, meals, and entrance fees.
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, overnight stays are subject to a tourist charge.
It is extremely inexpensive and ranges up to about €1.50 depending on the neighbourhood and hotel category.
Jamaican Islands
Most Caribbean islands charge departure fees or add tourist taxes to the price of hotels.
The following destinations charge visitors in some way: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, 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 Bahamas charge a fee of €13, while Antigua and Barbuda charge €45.
Croatia
2019 saw an increase in the tourist tax in Croatia. However, the higher rate only applies during the summer’s busy season.
Each visitor pays around 10 kuna (€1.33) each night.
Prague Republic
Only when visiting Prague, the nation’s capital, do visitors to the Czech Republic need to pay a tourist charge.
It is extremely little (less than €1) and paid per person, each night, for a maximum of 60 nights. Children under the age of 18 are exempt from the tax.
France
In France, there is a “taxe de séjour” to pay. Depending on the city you’re in, it gets tacked on to your hotel bill.
From about €0.20 to €4 per person, per night, are the prices.
Money is used to maintain tourism infrastructure in popular tourist destinations like Paris and Lyon.
Germany
In cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin, there are what the Germans refer to as a “bed tax” (bettensteuer) and a “culture tax” (kulturförderabgabe).
The cost is around 5% of your accommodation bill.
Greece
The amount of hotel stars or the number of rooms you are renting determines how much tourist tax you pay in Greece. It can cost as little as €4 per room. To aid in reducing the nation’s debt, the Greek Ministry of Tourism established it.
Hungary
Only Budapest is subject to Hungary’s visitor fees. Based on the cost of their room, travellers must pay an additional 4% every night.
Indonesia
Only Bali is subject to Indonesian tourist tariffs. A new rule enacted in 2019 mandates that tourists from outside to the Indonesian island must pay a tax of around €9.
According to reports, the tax’s proceeds support initiatives to protect the environment and Balinese culture.
Italy
Various regions of Italy have different tourist taxes. In the summer of 2022, Venice could enact its own tax.
Depending on the kind of hotel, the cost in Rome ranges from €3 to €7 per night; however, some smaller communities charge more.
Japan
It takes the form of a departure tax in Japan. As they depart the country, visitors to Japan are required to pay 1,000 yen (about €8).
The government-run tourist website asserts that this modest fee has “a significant difference” on the economy.
Malaysia
The tourist tax in Malaysia is flat-rate and charged per night of stay.
It just costs a little over €4 each night.
In New Zealand
When they arrive in New Zealand, many tourists, persons on working vacations, certain students, and some employees must pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
However, Australian citizens are exempt. It costs $35 in New Zealand dollars, or around €21.
United Kingdom
Both a land-based and a maritime tourist tax are in place in the Netherlands. This works out to 7% of the price of a hotel stay in Amsterdam. The term for it is toeristenbelasting.
Portugal
The modest tourist tax in Portugal is paid per person, each night, and is only charged to visitors who are 13 years old or older. It costs around €2. Only the first seven days of your stay are subject to payment.
Slovenia
Location and hotel quality affect the tourist tax in Slovenia. It costs around €3 more in major cities and tourist towns like Ljubljana and Bled.
Spain
You must pay a tourist tax if you’re travelling to Ibiza or Majorca. Everyone travelling to Spain’s Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera) who is 16 years of age or older is subject to the Sustainable Tourist Tax.
The tax may be as much as €4 per night during the peak season.
Switzerland
Switzerland has different tourist taxes depending on where you are. The price is around €2.20 per night and per person.
The tourist tax is typically not included in quotes for lodging since it is listed as a separate cost, making it simpler to keep track of. It also only applies to stays of less than 40 days.
USA
In the majority of the United States, a hotel tax or lodging tax is levied on visitors who rent somewhere to stay. Another name for it is an occupancy tax.
Hotels, motels, and inns must pay the fees. According to reports, Houston has the highest rate, with a tax of 17% added to hotel bills.
SOURCE – euronews