Popular tourist destinations across Europe have announced entry fees for 2024, driven by factors like the economic impact of COVID-19 or simply as a means to generate income and support their tourism sectors.
To help travelers plan, here’s a rundown of places in Europe that either will start charging entry fees or have revised their existing fees for tourists in 2024.
Santiago de Compostela and Figueira da Foz are introducing new tourist taxes. Paris and Amsterdam are set to increase their existing charges. The United Kingdom is implementing a new system where visitors will pay a €7 application fee starting next year.
From January 2024, tourists in Paris will face a significant rise in the tourist tax, with rates nearly doubling. Those staying in hotels or other accommodations could see fees for a double room soar to more than €11 per night.
Amsterdam will have the highest tourist tax in Europe starting in 2024, set at 12.5% of the hotel room price. This rate applies to both cruise passengers and overnight visitors. The city, expecting over 20 million tourists in 2023, introduced this measure to combat overtourism.
Venice will begin charging a daily fee for visitors, starting with a pilot program on spring and summer weekends. This fee aims to support city maintenance, cleaning, and reducing living costs for residents.
Valencia plans to introduce a tourist tax for those staying in hotels, apartments, campsites, and hostels in early 2024. The fee, ranging from €0.50 to €2 per night, will be used to promote sustainable tourism and provide affordable housing for local residents.
Barcelona will also increase its tourist taxes in 2024. Visitors have been paying both regional and city taxes since 2018. The fee increased to €3.25 in April 2023 and will rise to €3.75 in April 2024. This tax funds city infrastructure improvements like roads, bus services, and escalators.
Madrid is considering a new tourist tax to combat over-tourism, though it hasn’t been confirmed yet. The Spanish capital sees a large number of visitors annually, and this measure would help manage the crowds.
Olhao in Portugal will charge €2 per night for visitors staying in accommodations between April and October and €1 per night from November to March. Children under 16 and those exceeding a total fee of €10 during their stay are exempt. The funds will go towards maintaining the town’s cleanliness and security.
Similarly, Faro imposes a €1.50 fee per night during the summer, with a maximum of seven nights charged. Children under 12 are exempt.
Several Portuguese cities, including Porto, Lisbon, and Sintra, apply an entry tax with rates varying by city. Lisbon’s rate depends on the season, costing €1.50 per night from October to March and €2 from April to September. Certain groups, like children under 16 and people staying for specific reasons, are exempt.
In 2024, the UK will introduce the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, requiring visitors from several countries to apply and pay for travel permission. Fines will be imposed for traveling without an ETA.
Across Europe, tourist taxes vary. In Austria, cities like Vienna and Salzburg charge around €3.2. Belgium’s fee, roughly €7.50, depends on the city and hotel type. Bulgaria and Croatia have some of the lowest rates, around €1.50 to €1.33, respectively.
In Czechia, tourists pay less than €1 per night in Prague, with a cap of 60 nights. France’s tourist tax varies by city, ranging from €0.20 to €4 per night.
Germany implements a “culture tax” in cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin, costing about 5% of the hotel bill. Greece’s rate is based on hotel classification, peaking at €4.
Budapest charges a tourist fee of about 4% per night based on the room price. Italy’s tourist tax varies, ranging from €3 to €7 per night depending on the destination.
Netherlands applies both land and water tourist taxes, with Amsterdam having the highest at 7% of the room cost. Slovenia’s popular spots, Ljubljana and Bled, charge around €3 based on hotel ratings. Switzerland’s tax is about €2.20 per night, not included in accommodation fees and valid for stays under 40 days.