In Europe, there are 137 cities that charge some form of tourist tax. Venice, the pioneer in charging a fee of 5 euros to each tourist, regardless of whether or not they stay overnight in the city. The Balearic Islands. Lisbon, Vienna, Bruges, Prague or Budapest are examples of other European cities where the tourist tax is applied. On the other hand, it should be noted that there are cities that decide to eliminate this tax or reduce it in the low season, such as Venice, where the tax only applies for 29 days a year, from April 25 to July. In England, no local authority has the power to directly impose a direct tourist tax, although Manchester City Council, among others, has introduced a form of tourist tax through an alternative legal solution known as the City Visitor Charge and participating hotels are encouraged to itemize it on guests' invoices.
The proposal to implement an ecotax in the south of Gran Canaria, such as Mogán, which in 2025 will introduce a microtax of 0,15 euro cents per night and tourist, has generated an intense debate in Gran Canarian society. This tax, which would be applied to tourists, has the main objective of financing environmental protection and tourism sustainability measures in one of the most visited regions of the Canary Islands. The debate on the ecotax has polarized Canarian society: on the one hand, there are those who see in this measure an opportunity to protect the environment and guarantee a sustainable future for the island. On the other hand, there are those who fear that the ecotax will have a negative impact on the economy and the competitiveness of the destination.
In Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona and Lleida, the cost is between 3,5 and 7,5 euros per night of accommodation. And, if we travel to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza or Menorca, we will have to pay a tourist tax that can vary between 1 and 4 euros. In France: the cost ranges between 20 cents and 4 euros, being the country with the most destinations where the tourist tax is charged. More than 50 French cities already collect this tax and in the Netherlands Amsterdam has the highest tourist rate, exceeding on average 20 euros per person per night. In Italy there are 35 cities where the tourist tax is applied, including Rome, where the amount can vary between 5 and 10 euros, depending on the price of the hotel.
In Germany, there is a “bed tax” or “cultural tax” in Berlin and Hamburg, a fee that is usually around 5% of the accommodation bill, while in Morocco a maximum of 2 euros is charged, depending on the category of accommodation. In the vast majority of cases, the tourist tax is included in the price of the hotel. The visitor pays it when paying for the accommodation. In some cases, such as Japan, the rate is included in the price of the plane ticket. And there are cities such as Venice where payment is made online. In Europe, minors under 18 and those over 70 are usually exempt from paying the tourist tax. In addition, residents of the destination in question are usually excluded.
