The concept of a tourist tax isn’t a new one. City tax has long been the norm for many countries in Europe such as Greece, Spain and Germany, and hotel tax is standard across many destinations, including US states. The impact of covid on the travel industry was severe – hotels, restaurants and hospitality venues closed, people who relied on tourism for their livelihoods suddenly faced huge losses, and money that the government relied on for development and maintenance was depleted. As a result, while travel continues to normalise post-pandemic, many countries have decided to implement a tourist tax to boost economies and reinvigorate locals. Below, we take a look at what exactly tourist tax is, and which countries are introducing the measure.
What is tourist tax?
Originally, tourist tax was introduced by certain governments to temper over-tourism and generate income from large numbers of travellers entering the destination. Bhutan, for example, has asked tourists to pay a significant sum of money to enter since it opened to travellers in 1974. The country uses the tax (called the Daily Sustainable Development Fee) in an attempt to preserve the country’s natural, undisturbed beauty and to protect traditional Buddhist culture. Similarly, Barcelona uses the city’s tourist tax to fund construction and development projects locally – typically it is around €9 per day per person for stays in Barcelona City. Most tourist taxes are added onto the cost of your accommodation.
Which destinations are imposing tourist taxes in 2025?
- In 2024, the UK imposed a new system called Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), whereby visitors from the US, Europe, Australia and Canada are required to apply for permission and pay to enter the country. After a series of delays, the system was eventually rolled out, in full, at the beginning of April 2025. Read more about the system in our ETA guide.
- Thailand has proposed implementing a travel tax by the end of 2025. If approved, the fee will be around £6.80 for those arriving by plane.
Which destinations imposed tourist taxes in 2024?
- In Italy, Venice started charging day tourists a fee in spring 2024. In addition, a tourist tax on overnight stays applies for the first five nights in a hotel or non-hotel accommodation within the City of Venice. This varies between €1 and €5 per person per night, depending on the accommodation classification and the season: the high season is from 1 February to 31 December, and the low season is from 1 to 31 January. Children under the age of 10 and disabled people are exempt from paying the tax, while a 50 per cent reduction applies to visitors for young people between 10 and 16 years of age.
- The Indonesian government announced a tourist tax on travellers visiting Bali from 14 February 2024 of roughly £6.70.
- New Zealand's tourist tax tripled in October 2024 – tourists entering the country must pay a fee of NZ $100, up from NZ $35.
Which destinations currently impose tourist tax?
The below destinations impose tourist taxes on travellers entering the country, but the amount of tax charged changes frequently. We have included some guidance on projected costs, but make sure you check with your accommodation or the tourism board for each destination before travelling to be sure how much you need to pay.
- Austria: the cost of tourist tax is typically added onto your accommodation bill, and is around 3.2 per cent in Vienna
- Belgium: in Brussels tourist tax is around €4, and is added onto your accommodation bill, but it varies from city to city
- Bhutan: until September 2027, the Daily Sustainable Development Fee in Bhutan has dropped to USD $100 for adults (around £7.50)
- Bulgaria: tourist tax in Bulgaria varies on destination and hotel standard, but it is usually around £1.30
- Caribbean Islands: most of the Caribbean islands charge tourist tax, and the price ranges depending on the island – in St Lucia, for example, it is around $3 to $6, whereas in the Dominican Republic it is higher but usually incorporated into package holidays and airline fees
- Croatia: the cost of tourist tax in Croatia depends on the season you are travelling in and where you are staying, but the average is around €1 per adult traveller per day
- Czech Republic: in Prague, tourist tax typically costs around CZK 50 per night (around £1.71)
- France: here tourist tax is based on the level of accommodation, and ranges from less than one Euro for campsite stays to more than 15 Euros for ‘palace hotel’ stays
- Germany: it varies from city to city – in Berlin, the standard tourist tax is 7.5 per cent of the accommodation price
- Greece: the price you pay in Greece depends on the standard and size of your accommodation. It recently changed from a generic tourist tax to a more specific ‘climate tax’, making it clearer where travellers’ money is going, costing up to €8 besides other fees incorporated into hotel bills
- Hungary: travellers should expect to pay a set fee of just over £2 per person per night for a maximum of six nights in Budapest. The fee does not apply to children aged under 18
- Indonesia: as of 2024, travellers have to pay 150,000 rupiah (around £7.60) upon entering Bali
- Japan: if you travel to Japan, expect to pay 1,000 yen (about £5.30) in tourist tax; early talks suggest this could increase fivefold in the coming years
- Malaysia: the cost of tourist tax across Malaysia is roughly £1.70 per night
- Portugal: charges tourist tax in many cities and regions, including Lisbon and Porto. The cost can vary slightly between locations and the low and high (summer) seasons
- The Netherlands: the amount of tourist tax differs per municipality. Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most expensive places for tourist tax – in 2024, the rate was increased from seven per cent to 12.5 per cent of the accommodation price
- Switzerland: the price of tourist tax here varies depending on the destination, and it ranges from about CHF 2 (£1.81) to CHF 7 (£6.34) per person per night
- Slovenia: again, the rate changes from destination to destination (it is higher in cities than in more rural areas), but generally the cost is around €3
- Spain: several cities in Spain have recently decided to raise the price of tourist tax, and other cities are in discussions about following suit. In Barcelona, the fee is a maximum of €7.50, whereas in the Balearic Islands the fee is between €1 and €4
- USA: when travelling to the USA from the UK, visitors need to apply for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation), which is a type of visa allowing travellers to stay in the country for up to 90 stays. It is valid for two years. The cost of an ESTA is $21 (about £17)