When traveling abroad, it's a good idea to account for any tourism taxes you must pay during your stay.
Some are a small extra cost added to what you pay for your accommodation per night. Others may be a one-and-done (or even daily) fee, such as Thailand's tourist tax. In some places like Bhutan, these fees can be quite costly.
You might find your vacation spot has implemented this kind of tax for several reasons. It could be a response to overtourism and concerns about sustainability and the environment (case in point: Venice, Italy), or it could simply be a way to help the local economy put funds back into tourism infrastructure.
Here, we'll look at top tourist destinations that charge a tourism tax and how much each will cost you.
After increasing its tourist tax in 2024, Amsterdam now has the highest tourist levy in Europe, with hotels, vacation rentals (including Airbnbs) and camping sites all charging guests an additional 12.5% of their overnight rate (excluding value-added tax).
Meanwhile, cruise travelers are charged 14 euros (around $15) as part of the "day tripper tax" for every day spent in Amsterdam. The charge, however, excludes passengers who start or end their cruise in Amsterdam and those living in Amsterdam.
Find out more about the various kinds of taxes on Amsterdam's official website.
Fees on the islands vary from 1 to 4 euros per night, depending on the accommodation type, as follows:
This sustainable tourism tax applies to Minorca, Mallorca, Formentera and Ibiza. Travelers under the age of 16 are exempt.
Germany charges tourists both a culture tax, known as "kulturforderabgabe," and a bed tax, known as "bettensteuer," in several of its more popular cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt.
In Berlin, the tourist tax is 5% of the room price. It varies in other cities such as Frankfurt (2 euros per night) and Hamburg (up to 3 euros per night).
Depending on the accommodation type (either the number of stars the hotel holds or the number of rooms), Greece charges 0.50 euros to 4 euros per night.
The newly introduced City Visitor Charge costs 1 British pound ($1.25) per room, per night.
France's tourist tax varies depending on which city you are visiting but generally costs 0.80 euros to 4 euros per night, depending on the kind of accommodation you choose. Find out more.
This year, however, Paris' tourist tax has been raised in advance of the Summer Olympics. You can now expect to pay between 0.75 and 15 euros per night, depending on your accommodation.
The tax is 2 euros per night for the first seven nights in Lisbon, Porto, Faro and nine other municipalities. Other parts of the country that charge a tourist tax usually have lower fees, around 1 euro to 1.50 euros per night.
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