Tourist taxes to make these 10 hot vacation spots more expensive in 2024

If traveling is on your 2024 to-do list, you may want to increase your budget.

As rates of travel bounced back to nearly pre-pandemic levels in 2023, tourism taxes are soaring in a bid to offset the ill effects of foreign travelers.

“Tourism taxes and assessments are being considered as a tool to control numbers,” Guy Bigwood, the “chief changemaker” at Global Destination Sustainability Movement, told Lonely Planet.

In Greece, the hike in hotel fees goes towards fighting climate change, while tourist taxes from cruise ships in Dubrovnik, Croatia, will aid infrastructure, per the travel outlet.

“Actually, we are seeing that tourists and businesses are happy to pay a levy if they know the money will be well spent in their community,” he said.

Some cities have introduced restrictions on travelers — Venice, for one, will ban tour groups larger than 25 people beginning in June — and citizens from vis-exempt countries, such as the US, will need to apply for ETIAS authorization to travel to 30 European countries starting in 2025.

While tourism taxes are not all that new — according to a 2020 report from Group NAO, they have “been on the rise for more than a decade” — this year, at least 10 cities or countries will implement new or raise already existing fees.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

This year, the Dutch city will take the cake as the place with the highest tourism taxes in Europe — and fourth highest in the world — with a 12.5% fee on hotel rooms this year.

“We have a lot of costs for the city, of course — for well-being, for livability,” Hester van Buren told the New York Times. “We don’t want to increase the taxes for our inhabitants. So we said, ‘Well, let the visitors pay some more.’”

The bump in fees will allow the city to “address the consequences of over-tourism” and keep the streets clean, she told Lonely Planet.

According to Travel + Leisure, the average tax for travelers will be approximately $22 per night — about a $6 increase — if they’re spending an estimated $183 on a room.

Venice, Italy

Day visitors will have to fork over $5.38 to come to the floating city this year.

According to CNBC, the tourism tax will be spread out over 30 non-consecutive days — busier long weekends and regular summer weekends — in 2024.

The picturesque city is overrun with travelers aboard cruise ships, referred to as “hit and run” tourists, who contribute less than 20% to the tourism economy but comprise approximately 73% of Venice visitors.

Barcelona and Valencia, Spain

While Barcelona currently charges approximately $3 on top of blanket tourism taxes across the region, but in March 2024, it is slated to be raised yet again to $3.56 amid the city’s campaign to attract “high-quality” visitors and improve infrastructure.

Likewise, Valencia will impose a tourism tax ranging from 50 cents to just over $2 per night.

Bali, Indonesia

Beginning on Feb. 14, 2024, non-citizens of Bali will have to cough up approximately $10 per person, which will be used to “preserve the environment, nature, and culture as well as improving quality,” according to officials.

The fee will be levied as soon as travelers step foot on the island. And if they happen to catch a ride to the Gili Islands and Lombok or to East Java, they’ll have to pay another $10 on their return to Bali.

Iceland

Before basking in the Northern Lights or relaxing in the country’s hot springs, you’ll have to pay up.

Officials announced that tourists would be charged an unspecified amount — although it will supposedly “not be high” — beginning this year.

“Tourism has really grown exponentially in Iceland in the last decade and that obviously is not just creating effects on the climate,” said Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Iceland’s prime minister, according to Travel + Leisure.

Manchester, UK

Last year, Manchester introduced a tourism tax on temporary lodgings — like hotels and other holiday accommodations — totaling just over $1.

While small, officials forecast more than $3 million raised per year, according to The Guardian.

Thailand

The country implemented an air travel fee of about $9 and a charge of $4 for those who arrive by water or land.

The tax only applies to people over the age of 2 staying overnight in Thailand, and will go towards “expenses related to taking care of tourists,” reported Lonely Planet.

Olhão, Portugal 

The southern Portugal city began charging a tourism tax last summer, and visitors now pay just over $2 per night during peak season — April through October — and just over $1 per night throughout off-season — November through March.

Bhutan

Tourists of the South Asian country — located on the edge of the Himalayas — will have to cough up $100 per day for adults, while children aged six to 11 will be charged $50.

Pre-pandemic, visitors had to pay $65 per day as part of the country’s “Sustainable Development Fee,” which, in 2022, was raised to a jaw-dropping $200 in the hopes of attracting “high value, low volume” travelers.

The country also offers an incentive for staying longer: After paying the tax for four days, tourists are exempt for another four. Likewise, paying the fee for seven days earns travelers another seven days fee-free.