In the wake of struggling tourism sectors across the globe during the pandemic, including travel restrictions and closed borders, a number of countries are planning tourist tax policies for 2022.
It’s not a new policy; tourist taxes have been implemented in a number of countries previously. Tourist taxes are paid when a foreigner travels to a country and is imposed either as an addition to plane tickets or when checking in to accommodation.
Tourist tax policies are implemented for various reasons. It can be a way of controlling the number of visits so as not to exceed the capacity, maintaining tourist facilities, or protecting the country’s natural resources.
Based on a report from Euro News on Tuesday 18th January, the following is a list of 25 countries or territories that impose tourist taxes as of 2022:
1. Thailand
Thailand will apply a tourist fee starting April 2022 of €8, or around Rp130,270. The governor of Thailand’s Tourism Authority said that part of the tax will be used for tourist purposes, as well as to help with the costs of developing tourist attractions in Thailand.
2. Venice
Venice will soon be charging tourists a tax from this summer onwards. The proposed levy will vary between €3 and €10, or around Rp48,847-162,796, based on whether you visit in the low season or high season.
3. European Union (EU)
The EU will implement a tourist tax from the end of 2022. The policy requires citizens of non-EU countries, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other travellers from outside the Schengen zone, to fill out an application at a cost of €7, or around Rp113,957, to enter the EU region. However, the fee will be waived for those who are under 18 years old and over 70 years old.
4. Austria
In Austria, tourists are required to pay accommodation tax for each night’s stay. The amount of tax will vary depending on the province. In Vienna or Salzburg, for example, tourists will pay an additional 3.02 percent of the hotel bill per person.
5. Belgium
A tourist tax in Belgium will also apply to accommodation per night. In general, the cost for tourists staying in the country is around €7.50 per night or Rp81,398.
6. Bhutan
While other countries impose tourist taxes of under €20, Bhutan charges a minimum daily fee for foreign tourists starting from €228, or Rp3,711,764 per person for one day, during high season. The price is slightly cheaper during the low season. However, this fee already includes various things, including accommodation, domestic transportation, guides, food, and entrance fees.
7. Bulgaria
Bulgaria applies a fee for all travellers staying overnight. The price is considered low and varies depending on the classification of the area and the hotel, but you can expect to pay around €1.50 or Rp24,419.
8. Caribbean Islands
Most Caribbean islands have a tourist tax added to the hotel fee or departure fee. Costs range from €13, or around Rp211,635, in the Bahamas to €45 or about Rp732,585 in Antigua and Barbuda.
9. Croatia
Croatia raised its tourist tax in 2019. The rate increase is only valid during the peak season in the summer. Tourists pay around €1.33 or Rp21,163 per person per night.
10. The Czech Republic
Tourists only need to pay a tour fee in the Czech Republic when visiting the capital, Prague. It costs under €1, or around Rp16,305 and is paid per person, for one to 60 nights. The tax does not apply to children under 18 years of age.
11. France
France has a taxe de séjour to pay. These fees are added to a traveller’s hotel bill at rates that vary depending on the city where they are staying. Fees range from €0.20-4, or around Rp3,255-65,118, per person per night. These costs are used to maintain the tourism infrastructure.
12. Germany
Germany has a kulturförderabgabe or cultural tax and bettensteuer or bed tax in a number of cities, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin. The fee is about five percent of the tourist hotel bill.
13. Greece
The tourist tax in Greece is based on the number of hotel stars or the number of rooms rented. The possible rate per room is around €4 or Rp65,118.
14. Hungary
Tourist tax in Hungary only applies in Budapest. Travellers must pay an additional four percent per night based on the price of their room.
15. Indonesia
Tourist tax in Indonesia only applies in Bali. In 2019, a new law stated that foreign tourists must pay a fee starting from €9 or around Rp146,517. The income from this tax is used for programmes that help preserve the environment and Balinese culture.
16. Italy
The tourist tax in Italy depends on where the tourist visits. Venice has just introduced its own tax for the summer of 2022, as we just saw. Meanwhile, the tourist tax in Rome ranges from €3-7 per night, or around Rp48,839-113,957, depending on the type of room.
17. Japan
In Japan, tourists only pay €8 or around Rp130,237 when they leave the country.
18. Malaysia
Malaysia charges a flat rate every night for overnight tourists. It costs no more than €4 or around Rp65,118 per night.
19. New Zealand
Foreign tourists arriving in New Zealand must pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, or IVL. However, this policy doesn’t apply to Australians. The IVL costs around €21, or around Rp341,873.
20. The Netherlands
The Netherlands has a land tourism tax and a water tourism tax. In Amsterdam, the tax is about seven percent of the cost of a hotel room.
21. Portugal
The tourist tax in Portugal is quite low and is paid per night for one person. This policy only applies to travellers aged 13 years and over. It costs around €2, or Rp32,559, and is only paid for the first seven days the tourist stays.
22. Slovenia
The tourist tax in Slovenia varies by location and hotel star; it is around €3 or Rp48,839.
23. Spain
Going to Ibiza or Majorca requires travellers to pay a tourist tax of around €4 or Rp65,118 per night. This policy applies to every traveller aged 16 and over.
24. Switzerland
Tourist taxes in Switzerland vary by location. The cost per night and per person is around €2.20 or Rp35,815. The fee is only valid for stays under 40 days.
25. The US
The hotel tax or accommodation tax for tourists in the US is called the occupancy tax. The highest rates are in Houston, where taxes are 17 percent of a tourist’s hotel bill.