Tourist taxes have been a hot debate topic in popular cities across the globe. Recently, cities like Seville, Spain, and the ever-popular Venice, Italy have discussed adding entrance fees for travelers to access popular attractions. It seems like the Italian city will go through with their plan to charge an entry fee. In most cases, however, tourist taxes are applied to the price of hotel rooms. These fees aren’t something that travelers can claim refunds on like they can with sales tax in certain countries.
Most of the time, travelers won’t even realize they’re being charged this tax unless they ask to look at the “extended” version of the price they’re paying at a hotel or rental home. This is where they’ll be able to see all of the local taxes that are included in the price.
Certain online travel agencies and even hotel chains have faced legal repercussions in the past for not including these taxes in the final price they show to customers. The practice, known as drip pricing, has led many travelers to cover these extra fees once they arrive at their destination. This is something that people should be aware of, particularly if they’re planning to book a vacation in one of the following destinations.
Here are some other cities that are planning to raise the price for visitors.
Barcelona, Spain
Local authorities in Barcelona have been announcing an increase to their tourist tax for years. In fact, the tax has increased every April for the last two years. Travelers who arrived in the city on April 1st, 2024, and beyond are being charged 3.25 euros per night on top of the hotel’s nightly rate. That’s the municipal tax that applies only to the city of Barcelona. There could be other regional taxes that travelers will have to contend with as well.
Bali
On Valentine’s Day 2024, local authorities in Bali decided to show some love to tourists in a very unusual way. That was when they launched a new tax that travelers are forced to pay at booths when arriving at the local airport. This fee is currently set at 8.80 euros. What’s unique about this tax is that both domestic and international travelers have to pay when they enter the area via the local airport.
Venice, Italy
It’s been a few years since this idea of an entry tax has been floating around. Finally, the city of Venice has decided to give it a trial run. The fee will only apply on weekends and other days when a considerable amount of tourists arrive in the lagoon city. It will only be in place from 8:30 am to 4 pm. The cost has been set at 5 euros per person, allegedly. This trail started at the beginning of April, 2024 and will run through July.
There are still plenty of unknowns, though, that make tourists a bit uneasy. When the trial was announced, the city also revealed that there could be fines for tourists who don’t pay the fee. Those could go for up to 300 euros. Local police are set to be asking tourists for proof of payment or exemptions. All of this could make a summer visit to Venice a bit uncomfortable.
Portimão, Portugal
This popular port city in Portugal has had to deal with the effects of over-tourism for the last few years. What was once a small fishing village is now one of the country’s most popular destinations. To take advantage of that, local authorities have decided to add a 2 euro fee per night for guests. The tax tops out at five nights. Therefore, the most that people will spend is 10 euros. The rate is dropped to one euro during the months of the year when fewer travelers arrive at the destination.
Paris, France
Paris is another city that features this popular tourist tax. As of January 2024, the rates have gone through the roof. The reason for this is simple: the upcoming Olympic Games. The rates typically range from €0.20 to around €4 per person per night. Those numbers have increased by 200% in the last few months! Now, people headed to the French capital or other main cities like Lyon can expect to pay up to 15 euros per night for the same tax.
