These 10 European Destinations Are Introducing New Tourist Taxes in 2024

Popular destinations across Europe have announced entry fees for 2024, with some of them imposing the measure due to the impact COVID-19 has had on their economies or some others as an alternative to generate income and sustain that destination financially. 

Regardless of the purpose, media outlets has gathered a list of destinations across Europe that have announced or will start implementing entry fees for tourists in 2024. The same list will also include countries that have made changes to their entry fees for the upcoming year. 

Destinations with new tourist taxes for 2024 also include Santiago de Compostela and Figueira da Foz, while Paris and Amsterdam have increased their tourist taxes for the upcoming year. The United Kingdom will introduce a new system for which visitors will have to pay a €7 fee to apply. 

Paris, France

As of January 2024, tourists to the French capital will pay a tourist tax for visitors staying in hotels or other accommodation alternatives, which is almost 200 per cent higher than the current price. The policymakers have approved the bill to raise the tourist tax for visitors. 

This means that visitors to Paris in 2024 can expect a nightly fee for a double room at a highly-rated hotel to be more than €11. 

Amsterdam, Netherlands

As of 2024, the Dutch capital is expected to have the highest tourist tax in Europe, as policymakers have decided to raise it to 12.5 per cent of the hotel room price. All cruise passengers, as well as overnight visitors, will be obliged to pay this tax. 

In other words, the tax tourists for cruise-ship passengers will increase from €8 to €11 per visitor, which also applies daily. The measure was introduced due to overtourism, as Amsterdam in 2023 also is expected to welcome more than 20 million tourists. 

Venice, Italy

Starting in 2024, Venice will start imposing a daily fee for visitors. The pilot programme for this measure will roll out on the weekends of the upcoming spring and summer despite the testing phase being postponed several times. The imminent tourist tax is intended to help the residents of the city, including through maintenance, cleaning and reducing living expenses. 

Valencia, Spain

The Spanish city of Valencia has also announced plans to introduce a tourist tax for travellers who will stay in accommodation facilities, such as hotels, apartments, campsites and hostels, which will enter force in early 2024. 

The fee, which will vary between €0.50 and €2 per night, depending on the accommodation and night stays, will be dedicated to the development of sustainable tourism in the city as well as used to provide more affordable housing for residents of Valencia. 

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is also set to raise tourist taxes, which have been introduced to visitors since 2018. More specifically, visitors to the city have had to pay both the regional tourist tax and the one for the city.

In April 2023, the authorities increased the fee to €3.25, while a year later, in April 2024, the fee will be €3.2, indicating an increase of €0.50. The tax will apply to visitors staying in official tourist accommodation and is intended to fund the city’s road improvements, bus services and escalators. 

Madrid, Spain

The Spanish capital has also considered introducing a new tourist tax in 2024, intended to combat over-tourism. While the measure has not been confirmed yet, the city is one of the most affected by the large number of visitors every year and imposing such a measure would be beneficial for Spaniards.

Olhao, Portugal

The popular Portuguese town of Olhao will apply a €2 charge for visitors who spend a night in accommodation spots between April and October, while those who visit between November and March will pay only half of the price – €1 for every night spent. 

The measure will exclude children under 16 and those who pay a maximum of €10 during their stay. This means that those staying more than seven nights during the holiday season will be excluded from paying for other nights during their stay. 

The proceeds will be used to maintain Algarve town cleanliness and security and reduce tourism effects on this destination. 

Faro, Portugal

Similarly to Olhao, the tourist tax imposed by authorities in Faro costs around €1.50 per person and is applied during the summer season – March to October, with the maximum number of nights they have to pay for being seven. In addition, children under 12 are exempted from paying this fee. 

In total, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Braga, Póvoa do Varzim, Coimbra, Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Mafra, Óbidos, Faro, Vila Real de Santo António and Santa Cruz all apply an entry tax to visitors while the rates are higher for cities like Lisbon. 

Figueira da Foz 

The Portuguese city will start imposing a municipal tourist tax, which will depend on the number of nights spent at the destination as well as the season when the visit is conducted. 

Overnight stays from October to March will cost €1.50 per night, while visits that fall between April and September will cost €2 per night spent. 

Children under 16 years old, disabled people, students and those who stay in the city due to circumstantial reasons such as natural disasters are exempted from the requirement. 

UK

As of 2024, the UK will start implementing the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which obligates visitors from the US, Australia, Canada, and Europe to apply for permission to travel to British territories. 

Travelling to the UK without having an ETA or permission to visit the place can result in fines.

European Countries That Already Apply Tourist Taxes

All European countries apply a tourist tax, which is often included with the accommodation charges. The price of the tax depends on the destination and sometimes the time when you visit the country, but, in general, the cost of tourist tax in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, is around €3.2.

Belgium also has a tourist tax, which is applied to accommodation and is calculated based on the number of nights stayed in the country. Antwerp and Burges charge a rate per room, while in Brussels, it varies depending on the hotel. Usually, this fee is around €7.50.

Bulgaria and Croatia have some of the lowest rates for tourist tax; the first one charges around €1.50, depending on the area and hotel classification, while the other one charges around €1.33 per night, with the peak season in summer months, having even more expensive taxes.

In Czechia, tourists need to pay less than €1 to visit the capital city, Prague. The fee applies to visitors per night spent there and has a maximum cap of up to 60 nights. Children under 18 are exempted from the requirement. 

France also applies a tourist tax, which depends on the city. Rates can vary between €0.20 to almost €4 per person, and visitors are charged for the number of nights spent. 

The “culture tax” and “bed tax” are implemented in Germany, especially in popular cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin. The fee costs around five per cent of the hotel bill. 

The tourist tax in Greece is implemented, but its price varies depending on the hotel ratings or the number of rooms rented, peaking at €4. Greek Ministry of Tourism introduced this fee in an effort to reduce the country’s debt. 

In Hungary, the tourist tax only applies to Budapest, with travellers having to pay around four per cent for every night spent based on the price of the room. While Venice is expected to introduce a fee in 2022, taxes in Italy depend on the tourists’ destination. Room fees vary from €3 to €7 per night depending on the type of room, while smaller cities charge more. 

Like Germany, the Netherlands also applies two types of taxes – land tourist tax and water tourist tax. Amsterdam has the highest tourist tax – seven per cent of the cost of a hotel room. 

Ljubljana and Bled – two of Slovenia’s most popular tourist destinations, also apply a tourist tax, which depends on the hotel rating and costs around €3.

Tourist taxes in Switzerland depend on the location, and the cost per night and per person is around €2.20. The fees for accommodation, unlike other countries, do not include the tourist tax, and they are valid only for stays under 40 days.