Which major destinations charge a tourist tax (or are soon planning to)? – The Points Guy

When traveling abroad, it’s a good idea to account for any tourist taxes you must pay during your stay.

Some tourist taxes 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 new 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.

Europe and the United Kingdom

Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s tourist tax is 7% of the hotel price plus 3 euros ($3.32) per night, with other types of taxes for different accommodations. (Find out more about the various kinds of taxes on Amsterdam’s official website.)

Balearic Islands, Spain

Fees on the islands vary from 1 euro to 4 euros ($1 to $4.40) per night, depending on the accommodation type. This sustainable tourism tax applies to Menorca, Mallorca, Formentera and Ibiza.

Barcelona

Barcelona charges 5 euros ($5.53) per night in rental accommodation or 6.25 euros ($6.92) per night for a luxury hotel stay. These fees reflect April 2023’s changes, with a further uplift to come in 2024.

Germany

In Berlin, the tourist tax is 5% of the room price. It varies in other cities such as Frankfurt — 2 euros ($2.21) per night — and Hamburg — up to 3 euros ($3.32) per night.

Greece

Depending on the accommodation type, Greece charges 0.50 euros (55 cents) to 4 euros ($4.43) per night.

Manchester, England

The newly introduced City Visitor Charge costs 1 British pound ($1.25) per room, per night.

Paris

The city charges 0.80 euros (89 cents) to 4 euros ($4.43) per night, depending on the kind of accommodation you choose. (Find out more here.)

Portugal

The tax is 2 euros ($2.21) per night for the first seven nights in Lisbon and Porto. Other parts of the country that charge a tourist tax usually have lower fees around 1 euro to 1.50 euros ($1.11 to $1.66) per night.

Prague

In the capital of the Czech Republic, there is a charge of 50 koruna ($2.36) per person, per night for hotel stays.

Rome

In Rome, the tax varies from 3 to 7 euros ($3.32 to $7.75) per night, depending on the star rating of your accommodation.

Valencia, Spain

From the end of 2023 on, tourist taxes in Valencia will range from 0.50 euros to 2 euros (50 cents to $2.20) per night, depending on the type of accommodation you choose.

Venice, Italy

Taxes in this popular tourist destination vary from 1 euro to 5 euros ($1.11 to $5.50) per night and are paid to your accommodation. A separate tax for people visiting on a daytrip — which will cost between 3 and 10 euros ($3.32 and $11), depending on the time of year — is expected to come in the future.

Other destinations

Additional places in Europe that charge tourist taxes include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Hungarian capital of Budapest, Malta, Montenegro, Slovenia and Switzerland. Some locales may only have regional tourist taxes.

Tourist taxes can always be introduced later, so be sure to do your own research before you travel. This is especially true for Edinburgh, Scotland, as the city is on the brink of introducing a tax of 2 euros ($2.50) per night. Potential tourism tax discussions are also underway in Wales.

North America

California

A Transient Occupancy Tax of around 10% to 14% of the room price will appear on hotel stays, according to Turbotax. There may be other tourism-related taxes as well.

Canada

Rates vary across the country, but Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec are among the areas that add a visitor tax to a hotel’s price.

Hawaii

While Hawaii doesn’t currently have a tourist tax, a $50 Green Fee visitor payment could be coming soon.

New York City

The tourist tax here costs about 14% of the room price plus up to $2 per room, per night, according to the New York City government website.

Other destinations

In addition to the ones mentioned above, you should expect taxes and fees on hotel stays in most other U.S. states.

Latin America, South America and the Caribbean

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tourists will pay $1.50 per room, per night when staying in Argentina’s capital city.

The Caribbean

Taxes vary by country in the Caribbean. For example, Bonaire has a one-off $75 fee that tourists need to pay via its official website, while Aruba adds 9.5% to your room rate plus $3 per room, per night. In Barbados, you’ll pay $2.50 to $10 per room, per night, and there will typically be a $70 departure tax already included in your flight cost.

Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are also known to apply tourist taxes. Check details before booking or traveling, as some may be a departure tax already included in your airfare.

Quintana Roo, Mexico

This region charges a one-off tourist payment of 224 Mexican pesos ($12.39) to visit any destination in Quintana Roo. This includes Cancun, Cozumel, Holbox, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. A tourist tax may also be added to hotel stays in these areas and other parts of Mexico.

Asia and the Pacific

Bali, Indonesia

A tourism tax is currently being considered for Bali, according to The Guardian.

Bhutan

Bhutan charges a whopping $200 fee per day. Known as the Sustainable Development Fee, this tourist tax is designed to assist with paying for infrastructure improvements, environmental efforts and fair wages for locals, among other things.

Japan

There is a charge of 1,000 yen ($7.57) included in all airfare for flights departing Japan. (Find out more here.)

Malaysia

Malaysia’s tourist tax costs 10 Malaysian ringgits ($2.27) per room, per night.

Maldives

The tourism tax in the Maldives ranges from $3 to $6 per day. The Green Tax total varies depending on if you’re staying in a guesthouse, hotel or resort. (Find out more here.)

New Zealand

When you book your New Zealand visa, you’ll usually pay 35 New Zealand dollars (around $22) for the International Visitor Levy.

Sri Lanka

There may be tourism-related taxes on hotel stays in Sri Lanka, according to Rough Guides.

Thailand

A one-time fee of 300 baht ($8.79) will be introduced in June 2023. All tourists arriving by air will need to pay this tax. For visitors who enter the country via a port or land border, the fee will be 150 baht ($4.40).