Global Tourism Taxes: A Guide for Travelers and Travel Businesses

What are Tourist Taxes?

Tourism taxes are mandatory charges applied to visitors by national, regional, or city governments. They are designed to support the costs of hosting tourists, protect natural and cultural sites, and manage the impact of large visitor numbers.

Tourism taxes typically fall into several categories:

Per-night hotel or lodging taxes

Per-stay city or regional levies

Mandatory arrival or departure charges

Cruise passenger fees

Environmental or sustainability fees

Special taxes for short-term rentals (Airbnb, villas, guesthouses)

These fees may be collected at airports, ports, hotels, tourist attractions, or through government websites and apps.

Why do Tourism Taxes exist?

Destinations introduce tourism taxes to:

Maintain cultural sites, temples, monuments, and historic districts

Fund waste management and environmental protection

Support transportation and infrastructure used heavily by tourists

Regulate overtourism by reducing pressure on busy areas

Create dedicated tourism development budgets

Offset the cost of services that visitors use but do not pay local tax for

Cities like Venice and Barcelona use levies to manage high visitor volumes. Islands such as Bali and Hawaii use them to fund sustainability programs and coastline protection. Many U.S. states use hotel occupancy taxes to support local tourism boards and events.

How Tourism Taxes are collected from Tourists

--- Hotel or Lodging Taxes ---

These are added to the nightly rate for hotels, resorts, villas, and short-term rentals.
Examples include:

• New York City Hotel Occupancy Tax

• Hawaii Transient Accommodation Tax (TAT)

• Greece Overnight Stay Tax

--- Arrival or Entry Fees ---

Visitors pay these when entering a destination.
Examples include:

• Bali Tourism Levy

• Japan International Tourist Tax

• New Zealand International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL)

--- Cruise Passenger Taxes ---

Charged when disembarking at ports.
Examples include:

• Caribbean port fees

• Alaska cruise passenger taxes

• Selected Indonesian and South Pacific port levies

--- City or Regional Tourism Levies ---

Often applied per night or per stay.
Examples include:

• Barcelona City Tax

• Venice Access Fee

• Amsterdam Tourist Tax

--- Departure Taxes ---

Paid when leaving a country, usually included in the airline ticket.
Examples include:

• Philippines Travel Tax

• Indonesian Passenger Service Charge

• Various airport improvement fees

How much do Tourism Taxes cost?

The cost depends on the destination. Some taxes are small, while others are significant for long stays or large families. Typical ranges include:

• USD 2 to USD 10 per hotel night (common in Europe and U.S. cities)

• USD 10 to USD 35 for arrival or departure fees

• USD 1 to USD 25 for cruise passenger taxes

• USD 7 to USD 15 per night for some short-term rental markets

Each destination page on tax.travel will provide a detailed breakdown of the current rates.

Do Tourism Taxes apply to every Traveler?

In most cases, yes. However, many destinations provide exemptions for:

• Children below certain ages

• Diplomats and official visitors

• Long-term residents

• Transit passengers

• Work permit or residence permit holders

• Specific humanitarian or government-related travel

Each destination page will indicate whether exemptions apply.

Regional Trends to know

Tourism taxes are expanding globally. Key trends include:

Asia introducing new visitor levies for sustainability (Bali, Japan, Thailand proposed).

Europe increasing per-night city taxes due to overtourism (Barcelona, Amsterdam, Venice).

United States relying heavily on hotel occupancy taxes to fund tourism marketing and events.

Island destinations applying environmental fees to protect coastlines and marine ecosystems.

These changes often appear with short notice, so it is important for travelers and travel businesses to stay updated.

Tourism Taxes by Region

This page is the central hub. From here, travelers and travel businesses can access detailed country guides. Each destination page includes:

The exact tax amount

Who must pay

How to pay (airport, hotel, online, app)

Exemptions

Local regulations and official references

Common traveler questions

Updates for 2024–2025

--- Bali Tourist Taxes ---

--- Barcelona Tourist Taxes ---

--- Hawaii Tourist Taxes ---

--- New Zealand Tourist Taxes ---

--- Japan Tourist Taxes ---

--- Venice Tourist Taxes ---