Tourist tax: NI travellers warned over increasing fees

Holidaymakers have been warned their trips abroad will cost more this year, as countries across Europe look set to increase tourist taxes.

Travel insurance experts at CompareNI.com have researched the cost of tourist fees for the most popular countries in Europe.

Many countries have raised their fees for tourists this year, with visitors to Paris paying up to €14.95 a night, and a 5% charge on room fees in Berlin.

Venice has introduced a trial for visitors to pay a €5 entry fee to the city during daytime hours, including additional costs for anyone staying in the city overnight.

Manchester has introduced a tourist tax of £1 per night for visitors, which has been successful in funding street maintenance. 

Tourists are being encouraged to incorporate additional costs into their holiday budget ahead of their spring and summer trips, to avoid being left out of pocket.

Managing Director at CompareNI.com, Ian Wilson said: “Tourist fees across Europe are in place for a number of reasons. These funds help to ensure popular tourist destinations are kept in good condition and prevent damages from overtourism.

“If you’re taking a city break in Europe this year, it’s important to be prepared for the possibility of additional costs. Tourist fees are normally due when you check out of your accommodation and not always obvious beforehand. The taxes range anywhere between less than €1 to almost €15 and can be charged per person, per night.”

Here are the tourist tax charges to watch out for in popular European destinations:

1.Venice

Tourists visiting Venice for the day will have to pay a €5 entry fee to enter the city between the hours of 8.30am and 4.00pm. The scheme is currently going through a trial period, but it is expected to come fully into force in 2025.  Currently anyone staying overnight in Venice on holiday is charged a fee between €1 – €5 within the accommodation price.

2.Manchester 

The UK city introduced a £1 per room, per night tourist tax across 73 hotels in order to fund improvement measures to attract more tourists. The scheme has currently raised over £2 million within a year to pay for street cleaning and marketing campaigns.

3.Barcelona

A recent increase to the existing tourist fee sees visitors now paying €3.25 for those staying in official accommodation. This has risen from €2.75.

4.Lisbon

The Portuguese capital enforces a €2 fee for every night tourists stay; this is only applied for a maximum of seven nights, per person.

5.Athens

Tourist tax in Athens varies depending on the hotel category and the time of year. The Greek government introduced the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee to charge tourists anywhere from €0.50 – €10 per room, per night.

6.Dubrovnik

Visitors to Dubrovnik must pay €2.65 per person, per night throughout April to September. The Croatian government has temporarily reduced this fee to €1.86 for the rest of this year.

7.Paris

The French government charges visitors a tourist tax depending on the type of accommodation. The most expensive charge is €14.95 for a stay in palaces, and €0.65 at one or two star campsites, per person, per night. Those staying in a typical four-star hotel are charged around €8.

8.Prague

For visitors to Prague, tourist tax has increased from 21 to 50 CZK each day (€0.82 to €1.97 based on current rates). The tax on visitors has been used as a tool to compensate costs associated with tourism and increase the overall income of the city.

9.Budapest

Tourists staying in Budapest are charged an additional 4% each night, which is calculated based on the price of the room. Hungary only enforces a tourist fee in the capital city.

10.Berlin

Berlin increased their city tax recently – tourists must now pay 5% of the room price, excluding VAT and service fees.

CompareNI.com  can help users save on travel, multi trip and single trip insurance.              

European Destination	Tourist Tax
Paris	€0.65 – €14.95 per person, per night
Athens	€0.50 – €10 per room, per night.
Dubrovnik	€2.65 per person (per night, April to September)
Berlin	5% of the room price (excluding VAT and service fees)
Budapest	4% each night (based on the price of the room)
Lisbon	€2 fee for every night (maximum of 7 nights, per person)
Prague	€0.82 to €1.97 a day
Manchester	£1 per room, per night
Venice	€5 entry fee
Barcelona	€3.25 total