Startup BermudAir is adding two new U.S. dots to its map. The airline has unveiled new flights between its namesake island and Baltimore and Orlando starting in March.
08.01.2024 - 23:16 / travelpulse.com / Laurie Baratti
Both to bolster their local economies and as a means of combatting overtourism, an increasing number of global destinations are charging tourists taxes or fees just for visiting. You’ll frequently find them tacked onto your hotel bill, but sometimes they’re collected immediately upon arrival.
Now that the pandemic is over and tourism numbers have rebounded around the world—sometimes exceeding pre-Covid norms thanks to the “revenge travel” phenomenon—tourism sustainability is top of mind for many destinations that traditionally struggle with overtourism, and the industry’s negative impact on its residents’ quality of life.
Guy Bigwood, who co-wrote the 2020 report ‘Tourism Taxes by Design’ told Lonely Planet that the supplemental revenue from levying fees on visitors is quite often being used to fund destinations’ sustainability initiatives. “Tourism taxes, and especially assessments or levies, can help with this,” he said.
Overtourism also impacts the sustainability of tourism in general in many locations, leading multiple destinations to leverage fees on foreigners as a means of managing visitor volumes. “Tourism taxes and assessments are being considered as a tool to control numbers,” Bigwood added. Because charging visitors lessens the tax burden on locals, it also helps improve residents’ quality of life and soften the blow of tourism’s ill effects.
Whereas some places are introducing such tourist taxes for the very first time this year, others are planning on hiking up the price. Below, we’ve laid out the details about several popular international destinations that will be charging new or higher visitor fees in 2024.
Historic buildings in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. (photo courtesy of Collette) (Photo Credit: Provided by Collette)
Amsterdam, already home to Europe's highest tourism tax, plans to raise its hotel room tax from 7 percent to 12.5 percent in 2024. In addition, cruise-ship passengers will see their daily tariff fee climb from €8 to roughly €11 per person.
Hindu temple in Bali, Indonesia. (photo via pawopa3336/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Starting February 14, non-Indonesian visitors will face a fee of 150,000 IDR (roughly $10) per person, generating funds that will be dedicated to cultural and environmental conservation. Travelers will be required to pay upon arrival at one of five dedicated counters at Bali’s international airport.
Barcelona at night. (photo via kanuman / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Barcelona's existing municipal tourism tax will rise in April 2024, a move that will affect travelers staying in government-regulated accommodations in the city. The fee, which is currently assessed at €2.75 per night (US$3.01), will increase to €3.25 (US$3.56) per person, per night. But can
Startup BermudAir is adding two new U.S. dots to its map. The airline has unveiled new flights between its namesake island and Baltimore and Orlando starting in March.
Eurostar will continue to run its direct service from London to Amsterdam this summer.
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