Travellers planning a visit to Europe in 2024 should be prepared to pay higher tourism taxes in several destinations. The move is part of a broader effort by national economies to boost local economies and support sustainability initiatives. According to a 2020 report by Group NAO and GDS-Movement, more countries in the US and Europe are imposing tourism taxes to fund their green goals.
Guy Bigwood from the Global Destination Sustainability Movement emphasizes that imposing tourism taxes can help generate funding for sustainability initiatives and manage tourist numbers, especially as tourism rates return to pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, the initiative to charge tourists is proposed to be sustainable and can help manage mass tourism in a post-pandemic era.
In Greece, a hike in an existing hotel tax is aimed at combating natural disasters caused by climate change. In Dubrovnik, a tariff imposed on cruise ships aims to improve the ancient city’s infrastructure. Many more European destinations will be imposing new tourism taxes in 2024.
Amsterdam, which already has the highest tourism tax in Europe, is planning to increase its hotel room tax and the tariff for cruise-ship passengers in 2024. The increased revenue will be dedicated to combatting the consequences of over-tourism, maintaining cleanliness, and solving neighborhood issues, according to Hester van Buren, Amsterdam’s deputy mayor for finance.
Barcelona is set to increase its municipal tourism tax in April 2024, focusing on attracting high-value tourism over mass tourism, and Valencia will introduce a tourist tax, which will vary from 50 cents to €2 per night.
Iceland will introduce a tourist tax in 2024 that will be reasonable and contribute to sustainability programs, aligning with Iceland’s goal to become carbon-neutral by 2040. Moreover, in Olhão, Portugal, visitors will have to pay €2 per night during the high season and €1 during the rest of the year.
Venice will likely implement a €5 fee for tourists in 2024 on 30 non-consecutive days and Denmark plans to introduce a “passenger tax” for flights in 2025. Non-EU residents entering Europe without special visa requirements will also need to register through the European Travel Information and Authorization System starting in 2025, which will cost about €7 per person.
Apart from the new taxes, many European countries have existing tourism tax regulations in place. For instance, popular destinations in Italy can charge between €3 and €7 per night based on the type of room and destination, while Switzerland charges €2.20 per night per person.
Overall, it’s clear that tourists visiting Europe in 2024 need to be aware of these new taxes and budget accordingly.
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