From Venice to Bali, new fees are being chged to try and combat overtourism.
Overtourism could have been 2023’s word of the year in the travel industry.
News of the negative impacts of too many tourists was everywhere. The world’s most popular destinations, like Venice, Barcelona and New Zealand, are struggling to keep visitor numbers under control.
What is the problem with overtourism? Well, local residents suffer as property becomes unaffordable due to landlords buying up holiday lets. Authorities struggle to manage the rubbish left behind by tourists, and pollution contributes to the climate crisis.
One tactic that destinations are banking on, literally, is tourist taxes: fees that visitors have to pay, on top of the usual expenses like accommodation and food.
This is not a new concept, of course. If you’ve travelled abroad, you’ve likely paid a tourist tax before. You may never even have noticed it – as it’s sometimes worked into airline tickets or the taxes you pay at your hotel.
Barcelona is increasing its tourist tax (again) in 2024
In 2022, city authorities announced that Barcelona’s tourist tax would be increased over the next two years.
Since 2012, visitors to the Catalan capital have had to pay both the regional tourist tax and an extra city-wide surcharge.
On 1 April 2023, city authorities increased the municipal fee to €2.75.
A second increase will happen on 1 April 2024, when the fee will rise to €3.25.
The tax applies to visitors staying in official tourist accommodation.
The council said the proceeds will be used to fund the city’s infrastructure, including improvements to roads, bus services and escalators.
Valencia will impose a tourist tax in 2024
Valencia will introduce a tourist tax for travellers staying in all types of accommodation in the region, including hotels, hostels, apartments and campsites.
Officially called the Valencian Tax on Tourist Stays (IVET), it will come into effect in 2024, though an exact date has not been announced yet.
Visitors will have to pay between 50 cents and €2 per night depending on their chosen accommodation, for up to seven nights. Cruise ship passengers will pay €1.50 per day.
Authorities say the fee will go towards the sustainable development of the region’s tourism sector. Proceeds will also be used to provide more affordable housing for locals in tourism hotspots.
Olhão, Portugal, introduced a tourist tax in 2023
Olhão, a Portuguese fishing town popular with tourists, has started charging visitors €2 a night between April and October.
The tax is reduced to €1 between November and March. It will not apply to children under the age of 16 and it will be capped at five nights – so a maximum of €10 – per trip.
The fee is being used to minimise the impact of tourism on the Algarve town, including improving cleanliness and security, according to local authorities.
Two of the Algarve’s 16 municipalities already charged a tourist tax: Faro (€1.5 per night up to seven nights between March and October) and Vila Real de Santo António (€1 per day up to seven days).
Bali: Tourist tax to be introduced in February 2024
Known as the Land of the Gods, Bali attracts visitors from all over the world to its beaches, islands and spiritual culture.
But tourism also means problems and Bali is hoping to solve some of these with a new tax that must be paid to enter the country.
From 14 February 2024, international and domestic arrivals will have to pay a fee of IDR 150,000 (€8.80). This will need to be paid at special booths at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport. Authorities have promised the process will take less than 30 seconds.
They said the proceeds will go towards projects that ‘preserve the environment, nature and culture as well as improving quality’ of Bali.
Is Thailand introducing a tourist fee in 2024?
Back in 2022, it was rumoured that a tourist tax would be introduced in June 2023. This didn’t happen, then the next deadline of October didn’t happen either.
and there have been no confirmed plans for 2024, either.
Airlines and airline-representing bodies are said to have challenged the fee.
When it was first rumoured, it was said the tax would be 300 Baht (€8).
In 2022, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand told Reuters news agency that part of the fee will “be used to take care of tourists” as there have been times when health insurance didn’t cover them. It will also help finance further developments of tourist attractions, such as the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Venice’s tourist tax: When will visitors have to pay to enter in 2024?
Venice‘s tourist tax has been the subject of much debate and delays. The city is one of the most overtouristed in Europe, forcing locals out of the city centre’s narrow and crowded streets.
It is now confirmed that the lagoon city will trial an entry fee for part of 2024.
Visitors will have to pay a fee of €5 to enter on peak weekends and other days between April and mid-July – 29 days in total.