Budget for “tourist Tax” When Visiting These Places in 2025
Many travelers are used to paying taxes and fees on hotel bills without thinking twice, but in many countries, a “tourist tax” may also apply elsewhere during your stay. Tourist taxes are daily fees levied on visitors to a city (or country), intended primarily to generate revenue for tourism infrastructure, environmental or sustainability projects, or other local resources, although they may also be levied in hopes of combating heavy tourism in popular destinations. .
Some fees vary by season or apply only to day visitors to certain attractions, and they may be paid upon entry, included in the cost of a visa, or included in airfare or hotel fees, making them difficult to identify and track. They’re certainly not new, but their prevalence and cost have increased in recent years as regions try to cope with an influx of visitors.
In most cases, tourism taxes are nominal, although there are exceptions such as Bhutan, which charges a “sustainability” fee of US$100 per night for adults ($50 for children), and New Zealand, whose conservation fee and International Visitor Tourism now costs visitors NZ$100 (about US$56) when applying for entry. Here are a few tourism taxes you’ll want to plan for in 2025.
UK ETA Commission
The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system has been in development for some time and will come into force for non-European travelers on 8 January 2025. Visitors from the US (and Canada, Australia and other visa-exempt countries) will need to apply for entry in advance with their passport details and pay a fee of £10. The permit is valid for a stay of up to six months and can be used as many times as necessary for up to two years. (One euro is equal to approximately 1.04 US dollars.)
European Union ETIAS Commission
EU visitors without a visa will (likely) have to pay a similar fee to UK ETAs under the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) sometime in 2025, although implementation has been delayed several times since 2020. costs 7 euros and requires the provision of passport data and other personal information.
Local tourism taxes in Europe
The number of European destinations charging tourism taxes has increased in recent years (after some were suspended at the height of the pandemic), with other regions considering adding levies as visitor numbers continue to grow. Some of the more well-known tourist taxes are listed here, but levies apply in other places, including France, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Belgium, as well as Prague and Budapest.
Spain
Tourist taxes are widespread throughout Spain. Adults aged 16 years and over visiting the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera and Ibiza) must pay €1-€4 per night depending on the type of accommodation. Barcelona charges both a city tax of €4 per night (which could increase to €8 in 2025) and an accommodation tax of between €1.70 and €3.50 per night. Cruise ship passengers arriving in Barcelona for less than 12 hours are taxed at €3, while those staying longer pay €2.
Visitors to Asturias, Galicia and Tenerife could also face different tourism taxes in 2025, while Alicante and Seville are likely to introduce attraction-specific entry fees.
Portugal
Portugal has also introduced various tourism taxes in more than 25 municipalities , including a €4 per night fee in Lisbon and a new €3 fee for access to hiking trails in Madeira. For some destinations, taxes vary depending on the season and are limited to a maximum number of nights.
Italy
Tourists entering Venice on weekends (Friday to Sunday) and public holidays between 18 April and 27 July 2025 will be charged a tax of €5 for day visits booked more than four days in advance (€10 for those who booked tickets without prior notice). There is also an overnight tax of 1 to 5 euros per person per night depending on the season and type of accommodation.
Tourist taxes in Rome vary depending on the type of accommodation: from 3 euros per night for campsites to 10 euros per night for 5-star hotels, up to 10 days of continuous stay. Lake Como is considering introducing a day trip fee similar to Venice in the near future.
Greece
Greece will increase visitor fees in 2025 to 2 euros per day in low season and to 8 euros per day between April and October. Cruise ship passengers on day trips to Santorini and Mykonos must pay a €20 fee, while those traveling to Athens and Crete must pay a €5 fee. Some hotels also charge an additional fee of 15 euros.
Netherlands
Amsterdam requires a charge of 12.5% of the nightly rate for all accommodation, including hotels, holiday rentals and campsites, as well as a €14.50 “day excursion tax” for cruise ship passengers in 2025 (according to compared to 14 euros).
Iceland
Visitors to Iceland will see a fee of 600 ISK (just over $4) included in their hotel bill, while those on cruise ships pay 1,000 ISK. Travelers using campsites, mobile homes and caravans are charged ISK 300.
Other local tourism taxes
Of course, there are many other countries around the world that charge foreign travelers, including the following:
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Bali, Indonesia: A new tourism tax will cost around $10 per person starting February 2024.
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Maldives: Green tax will increase from $6 per day at most hotels to $12 per day in 2025.
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Thailand: Thailand’s tourist tax is a one-time fee of 300 baht (about $9) for travelers arriving by air and 150 baht for those arriving by land or sea.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina: Hotels charge foreign tourists US$1.50 per person per night.
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Quintana Roo, Mexico. Visitors to places like Cancun, Cozumel, and Tulum are subject to a one-time fee of about $10-$11 in addition to Mexico’s various hotel taxes.