You’ve just arrived at your hotel for a week of sun, sea and stacks of cocktails to then be told you’ve got to pay a tourist tax to stay there. Now that’s not something anybody wants to hear when they’ve just started their holiday! That’s why we’ve pulled together a list of our holiday spots that have this hidden charge so that you can be fully prepared and know exactly what to budget for. But first, let’s take a look at what it actually is…
What is a tourist tax?
Tourist taxes are becoming more and more common in a number of holiday destinations today. It’s a small fee that is usually charged on top of your holiday booking and is used to protect the destination and counteract any damage caused by tourism. And since we’re holidaying in other people’s homes, it’s the least we can do!
How much is tourist tax?
The cost of tourist tax can vary by season and location within a destination. It tends to be charged by one of the following:
- Flat rate per person, per night
- Flat rate per person, per night based by accommodation type and star rating
- Percentage of the room rate
*Please note – Tax is inflationary, therefore charges are subject to change.
Who pays tourist tax?
All holidaymakers are expected to pay tourist tax, apart from a few exceptions such as little ones under the age of 16, anyone with a disability, patients and carers for those admitted to health facilities and members of the armed forces. There may be others considered for exemption, however again it is always worth checking with your accommodation provider or tour operator beforehand just to be sure.
How do I pay tourist tax?
Tourist tax is usually charged either upon arrival at your hotel, or by your tour operator and can usually be paid by cash or card. It is not something that you need to arrange yourselves prior to your holiday.
Will I need to pay a tourist tax in my holiday destination?
Iryna Kalamurza / Shutterstock.com
Do you have a TUI or First Choice holiday booked to Mexico or Morocco? Good news! The tourist tax is already included in the cost of your holiday so you don’t even have to think about it. However, if you’ve booked your holiday with another company but your flights are with TUI, we recommend you double check with the company or travel agent that you booked with to find out if your tourist tax is definitely included.
So, where do I need to pay tourist tax?
Unfortunately, not all tourist taxes are included in your holiday package. If you’re travelling to any of the hotspots below, here’s a handy guide on what you’ll be expected to pay.
Austria
The tourist tax in Austria varies depending on the region that you’re staying in, but to give you an idea it can range from €0.15 to 3.02% of the hotels standard rate that you’re staying at.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria charges a City Tax or Resort Tax which varies depending on the area and hotel classification. Expect charges between €0.48 to €1.48, however this is charged per person staying rather than per person, per night. So no matter if you’re staying four nights or ten nights, you’ll be charged the same amount.
Croatia
With Croatia seeing a ginormous influx of holidaymakers over recent years they’ve got a tourist tax in place (AKA Sojourn Tax) to help manage the increasing tourist demand. This ranges from €0.25 to €1.00 and depends massively on the season.
Greece
The Overnight Stay Tax was first introduced by the Greek Ministry of Tourism on the 1st January 2018 and is something that all visitors are obliged to pay when holidaying in Greece. The Greek tourist tax ranges between €0.50 and €4.00 per room, per night, depending on the official rating of your accommodation.
Italy
Tourist taxes in Italy, AKA Tassa di soggiorno, depend on where you are. Take Rome for example, since it’s super popular they have been known to charge up to €10.00 in certain hotels. The same goes for the romantic hotspot Venice, which now has an entrance fee as a bid to try and reduce the crazy amount of visitors it receives to make trips here much more comfortable.
Portugal
To maintain its beauty, certain areas of Portugal including Lisbon and Porto have a tourist tax charge of €2.00, per night for a maximum of seven nights. This is required by all guests aged 13 and above. The holiday hotspot, the Algarve is also debating imposing a tourist tax.
Spain
To improve and maintain its tourism-related infrastructure, a number of places across Spain charge a tourist tax – and we can’t really blame them since they receive over 82 million visitors a year! In Mainland Spain you can expect to pay a tourist tax in the Catalonia region. The charge is currently around an average of €2.25 per person, per night for the first seven nights depending on your hotel type.
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands have a Balearic Sustainable Tourism Tax that goes towards the protection of resources on the islands and is collected when you arrive at your accommodation. It works out between €1-4 per night and as expected, depends on the official rating of your accommodation. As for the Canary Islands, they do not charge a tourist tax at this moment in time.
Tunisia
In Tunisia, there’s a Tunisian Tourism Tax that is payable at your hotel, ranging from 1 Dinar to 3 Dinars (0.28p – 0.84p) per person, per night depending on the star rating of the hotel. This tax is paid for a maximum of 7 nights and isn’t applicable to those under the age of 12.
*Please note that the star ratings mentioned throughout this blog refer to the official star rating of the hotel and not the TUI or First Choice rating.
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