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Tourist taxes: All of the countries you will have to pay to enter in 2023 or 2024

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From the Algarve to Thailand, these are all the places bringing in new fees to combat overtourism.

Travel has well and truly bounced back since the pandemic, buoying tourist destinations that were crippled by restrictions and closures.

But some popular destinations are once again reeling under the strain of overtourism.

As a result, some resorted to implementing a ‘tourist tax’ last year and others have followed suit in 2023.

Many places already have tourist taxes in place and if you’ve travelled abroad, you’ve likely paid one before. You may have never noticed it – as it’s sometimes worked into airline tickets or the taxes you pay at your hotel.

We’ve done all the research for you: here is everything you need to know about the countries you have to pay to enter.

Barcelona is increasing its tourist tax in 2023

Barcelona’s tourist tax will be increased over the next two years, city authorities have announced.

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, city authorities increased the municipal fee to €2.75.

A second increase will happen next year 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 would 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 has announced it will introduce a tourist tax for travellers staying in all types of accommodation in the region, including hotels, hostels, apartments and campsites.

It will come into effect at the end of 2023 or early 2024.

Visitors will have to pay between 50 cents and €2 per night depending on their chosen accommodation, for up to seven nights.

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 will be 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 in 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).

Thailand  is introducing a tourist fee in 2023

Thailand is introducing a tourist fee of 300 Baht (€8). It was initially expected to come into force at the end of 2022 but a lack of clarity on how it would be implemented has led to delays.

It now looks to have been delayed from June to September 2023, after airlines flagged further concerns.

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand told Reuters last year 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 will introduce a tourist fee in 2024

Venice will begin charging tourists who visit for the day from 2024.

The fee has been delayed multiple times, but a 30-day trial finally looks set to happen over spring and summer weekends next year. Exact dates are yet to be confirmed.

The imminent tourist tax is “not a tool for making cash,” the city said in a statement.

Proceeds from the entry fees will go towards services that help the residents of the city, including through maintenance, cleaning and reducing living costs.

EU implements a tourist visa in 2024

Starting in 2024, non-EU citizens, including Americans, Australians, Brits and other travellers from outside the Schengen zone, will need to fill out a €7 application to get in.

Those under 18 or over 70 will not have to pay the fee.

The scheme was supposed to be enforced by November 2023 but has faced delays relating to the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES).

These are all the countries where you already have to pay a tourist fee to get in

Many countries already have a tourist fee in place, for a variety of reasons.

For some, it’s to do with trying to curb the number of tourists and to prevent overtourism.

For others it’s almost like a sustainability tax on each visitor. The money from these taxes goes towards maintaining tourism facilities and protecting natural resources.

Austria

In Austria you pay an overnight accommodation tax, which varies depending on which province you’re in. In Vienna or Salzburg, you’ll pay an extra 3.02 per cent on the hotel bill per person.

The tourism levy is also known as Tourismusgesetz and Berherbergungsbeiträge.

Belgium

The tourist tax in Belgium is also applied to accommodation, for every night you stay there.

The fee is sometimes included in the room rate of the hotel but some separate the cost out and make it a supplemental charge, so you need to check your bill carefully.

Antwerp and Bruges charge a rate per room. The rate in Brussels varies depending on the hotel’s size and rating.

In general it’s around €7.50.

Bhutan

While most countries’ tourist fees are below around €20, Bhutan’s tax is sky high in comparison.

The minimum daily fee for most foreigners is: $250 (€228) per person per day during high season and slightly less in low season.

But it covers a lot, including accommodation, transportation in the country, a guide, food, and entry fees.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria applies a tourist fee on overnight stays.

It’s very low and varies depending on area and hotel classification – up to around €1.50.

Caribbean Islands

Most Caribbean islands have tourist taxes added to the hotel cost or a departure fee.

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands all have some form of fee for visitors.

Fees range from €13 in the Bahamas to €45 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Croatia

Croatia raised its tourist tax in 2019. The increased rate only applies during peak season in the summer though.

Visitors pay around 10 kuna (€1.33) per person per night.

Czech Republic

You only need to pay a tourist fee in the Czech Republic when visiting the capital city, Prague.

It is very small (under €1) and paid per person, per night, up to 60 nights. The tax does not apply to children under 18.

France

There is a “taxe de séjour” to pay in France. It is added to your hotel bill and varies depending on which city you are in.

The rates range from €0.20 to around €4 per person, per night.

Tourist hotspots like Paris and Lyon use the money to maintain tourism infrastructure.

Germany

Germany has what they call a “culture tax” (a kulturförderabgabe), and also a “bed tax” (a bettensteuer), in cities such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin.

The fee is around 5 per cent of your hotel bill.

Greece

The tourist tax in Greece is based on the number of hotel stars or number of rooms you’re renting. It can be anything up to €4 per room.

It was introduced by the Greek Ministry of Tourism to help cut the country’s debt.

Hungary

Tourist fees in Hungary only apply in Budapest.

Travellers have to pay an extra 4 per cent every night based on the price of their room.

Indonesia

Tourist taxes in Indonesia only apply in Bali.

In 2019, a new law states that overseas visitors to the Indonesian island must pay a fee in the region of €9.

Revenue from the tax reportedly goes towards programmes that help to preserve the environment and Balinese culture.

Italy

Tourist taxes in Italy depend on where you are. Venice may introduce its own tax in the summer of 2022.

Meanwhile, Rome’s fee ranges from €3 to €7 per night depending on the type of room, but some smaller cities charge more.

Japan

In Japan it comes in the form of a departure tax. Visitors to Japan pay 1,000 yen (around €8) as they leave the country.

The official tourism website claims this small tax makes “a significant difference” to the economy.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s tourist tax is a flat rate and applied per night you stay.

It’s not much more than around €4 a night.

New Zealand

Many tourists, people on working holidays, and some students and workers coming to New Zealand must pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) when they arrive.

But people from Australia are exempt.

It’s $35 New Zealand dollars which is around €21.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands has a land tourist tax and a water tourist tax.

In Amsterdam, this amounts to 7 per cent of the cost of a hotel room. It’s called toeristenbelasting.

Portugal

Portugal’s low tourist tax is paid per night per person and is only applicable to guests who are 13 and over.

It’s around €2 and currently applies in 13 of Portugal’s 308 municipalities, including the cities of Porto, Lisbon and Faro.

You only have to pay it on the first seven days of your stay.

Slovenia

The tourist tax in Slovenia varies based on location and hotel rating.

It’s slightly higher in larger cities and resort towns, including Ljubljana and Bled – around €3.

Spain

If you’re heading to Ibiza or Majorca, you’ll have to pay a tourist tax.

The Sustainable Tourist Tax, which applies to holiday accommodation on Spain’s Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera), also applies to each holidaymaker aged 16 or over.

During the high season, the tax can reach up to €4 per night.

Switzerland

The tourist tax in Switzerland varies depending on the location. The cost is per night and per person and is around €2.20.

Quotes for accommodation usually do not include the tourist tax – it is specified as a separate amount, so it’s easier to keep track of.

And it only applies to stays under 40 days.

USA

A hotel tax or lodging tax for travellers renting accommodation is charged in most of the United States. It’s also called an occupancy tax.

The fees apply at hotels, motels and inns. The highest rate is reportedly paid in Houston, with a 17 per cent tax on your hotel bill.

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  • Daniela Daecher

    Daniela Daecher is a twenty-something bookworm and coffee addict with a passion for geeking out over sci fi, tv, movies, and books. In 2013 she completed her BA in English with a specialization in Linguistics. In 2014 she completed her MA in Linguistics, focusing on the relationship between language and communication in written form. She currently lives in Munich, Germany.

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Want to get paid to move to Spain? Extremadura is luring digital nomads with €15,000 grants

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Digital nomads may be unwelcome in many places but one area of Spain is luring them with grants.

Once considered beneficial to a community, digital nomads have become unwelcome in many areas of Europe, accused of aggravating gentrification and pricing out the local population.

But one region of Spain is still keen to host remote workers – so much so that it is offering financial aid to those who relocate there.

Extremadura, an autonomous community bordering Portugal, is one of Spain’s lesser visited regions but nevertheless is home to wild nature reserves, fauna-filled mountain ranges and a capital scattered with Roman ruins.

Here’s who is eligible for the grant to move to Extremadura and how to apply.

You can get paid to be a digital nomad in Spain’s Extremadura

The regional government of Extremadura is offering digital nomads up to €15,000 to move to the area.

The autonomous community has one of the lowest populations in Spain and is one of the least-developed regions. It has one of the country’s lowest GDPs per capita and one of the highest rates of unemployment at 17.6 per cent compared to the national average of 11.9 per cent.

To bolster both the population and the economy, authorities in Extremadura have earmarked €2 million that will be used to aid the relocation of 200 remote workers and digital nomads to the region.

As well as receiving financial aid, digital nomads can enjoy a low cost of living compared to many other areas in Spain. When compared with the Spanish capital Madrid, the Extremadurian city of Badajoz costs on average 30 per cent less for meals out, public transport and utilities, according to Numbeo.

According to regional authorities, Extremadura lacks in transport infrastructure but has above national average fibre optic and mobile coverage.

Who can apply for Extremadura’s digital nomad grants?

Extremadura is targeting remote workers who are highly qualified professionals in the tech industry.

You must be able to work completely remotely and online “through the exclusive use of media and IT systems, telematics and information fields.”

Those who wish to apply have to commit to maintaining a remote job and living in Extremadura for at least two years.

Both those living in other regions of Spain and those living abroad are eligible as long as they have not lived in Extremadura in the previous six months.

Foreign nationals may apply, but must be resident legally in Spain and be in possession of a foreign identity number (NIE) as found on their green EU certificate or non-EU TIE card.

Non-EU nationals can also apply as long as they are already participating in Spain’s digital nomad visa scheme.

Those not in possession of a digital nomad visa would need to apply for this first and have it approved by Spanish authorities as well as obtain a residency document before applying for the Extremadura scheme.

How much funding will digital nomads receive?

Women, young people under 30 years old and those who relocate to towns in Extremadura with populations less than 5,000 are eligible for a €10,000 grant. Others will receive €8,000.

After two years, those in the first category who choose to stay on another year will receive a second payment of €5,000 while the others will be given €4,000.

When can digital nomads apply for the Extremadura grant?

The date when applications open has not yet been confirmed but authorities say it will be the day after publication of the scheme in the Official Gazette of Extremadura, likely to be around mid-September.

Authorities say applications will stay open until all the funds to cover around 200 digital nomads have been allocated which will be no less than a month but no more than a year.

How can digital nomads apply for the Extremadura grant?

Applications have to be submitted electronically using the Extremadura General Electronic Access Point. Applicants need to be in possession of a digital certificate or electronic Spanish ID card which allows for electronic identification.

You must submit your application form along with an official document issued by your country or another region in Spain to prove your current place of residence and a certificate from your employer authorising you to work in Extremadura or remotely in Spain or, if you are self-employed, a document detailing the terms and conditions in which you will carry out your professional activity remotely.

If you are moving from another Spanish region, you will need an original report supplied by the General Treasury of Social Security showing you are up to date with social security payments, a document certifying you are up to date with your tax payments and a certificate proving you don’t have any debts with the Treasury of Extremadura.

Documents not in Spanish need to be accompanied by a sworn legal translation certified by a professional.

Applicants will hear within three months if they have been successful.

Those successful need to register with a municipality in Extremadura to get a padrón certificate (a local record for people residing in a Spanish municipality) within three months.

After this, you have a month to request payment of the grant, which will be made in a single transaction.

Author

  • Daniela Daecher

    Daniela Daecher is a twenty-something bookworm and coffee addict with a passion for geeking out over sci fi, tv, movies, and books. In 2013 she completed her BA in English with a specialization in Linguistics. In 2014 she completed her MA in Linguistics, focusing on the relationship between language and communication in written form. She currently lives in Munich, Germany.

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100ml limit on liquids to return to all EU airports from September

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The latest generation of scanners allows passengers to carry electronic devices and liquids without quantity restrictions, but the European Commission questions their reliability and calls for a temporary restoration of the previous model.

Passing through airport security can be a tedious part of the air travel process but some European airports had managed to speed it up thanks to the installation of state-of-the-art scanners, which allow passengers to carry electronic devices and cosmetics of any quantity in their luggage without having to take them out.

But despite the equipment’s positive reception, Brussels recently called for a return to the previous model of limiting liquid containers to 100 milliliters.

Efficient but insufficient

The C3 EDSCB technology, as these advanced scanners are called, displays high-resolution three-dimensional images of baggage contents from CT scans and can easily detect explosive components in all kinds of cosmetics, liquids or electronic devices.

Passengers therefore don’t need to open suitcases or take out some of their belongings, which can create delays, and only have to pass through a metal detector.

But its effectiveness was called into question by a technical report that the Commission sent to the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) last May, according to which the software of these scanners cannot guarantee their reliability for containers with a content of more than 330 milliliters.

Then on July 31, Brussels announced the decision to apply “temporary” restrictions to these C3 explosives detection systems as a “precautionary measure” until “certain technical problems are solved”, a Commission spokesperson said. Officially, however, “the Commission has not changed its opinion on the quality of this new generation of scanners and their performance has not been called into question”, the spokesman added.

Airports already using the C3 model will now have to switch back to the traditional X-ray scanner, whose technology is insufficient to show in detail the interior of objects and thus detect explosive material in liquids.

Financial losses for airports

These new scanners are “eight times more expensive” with maintenance costs “four times higher”, so airports that have already invested in these new scanners to improve the passenger experience “will be heavily penalised, as the benefits associated with the use of this state-of-the-art technology will hardly materialise”, the Airports Council International Europe (ACI) said in a statement.

“Security is non-negotiable, it is one of the top priorities of European airports. Therefore, all airports will fully comply with the new restriction. However, airports that have been early adopters of this new technology are being heavily penalised, both operationally and financially,” ACI director general Olivier Jankovec said.

“The decision to now impose significant restrictions on its use calls into question the confidence that the industry can place in the current EU certification system for aviation security equipment,” he added.

Most of the passengers interviewed by Euronews at Zaventem airport in Belgium said they were used to not travelling with liquids and trying to leave electronic devices at home, so this change in regulations would not affect them too much. Those who had encountered the high-tech C3 scanners or the advanced body scanners at an airport, however, recognised a fundamental difference in the ease with which they gained access to boarding gates.

Nevertheless, the response is unanimous among airport staff and travelers alike: everyone wants to start their holiday as soon as possible and as easily as possible. To this end, those who have decided to postpone their break in September should make sure that sun cream and beauty products do not take up more than 100 milliliters if they do not want to waste any more of their free time at an airport checkpoint.

Author

  • Daniela Daecher

    Daniela Daecher is a twenty-something bookworm and coffee addict with a passion for geeking out over sci fi, tv, movies, and books. In 2013 she completed her BA in English with a specialization in Linguistics. In 2014 she completed her MA in Linguistics, focusing on the relationship between language and communication in written form. She currently lives in Munich, Germany.

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Biometric boarding: The world’s first document-free airport scheduled to take off in 2025

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Travellers might no longer need to present their boarding passes to board flights at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport as soon as next year.

Travellers to Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport may soon be able to use facial recognition to check in for flights.

Abu Dhabi Airports is developing a “Smart Travel” project that involves rolling out biometric authentification artificial intelligence (AI) into all security checkpoints at the airport by 2025.

The project will use the databases of the United Arab Emirates’ Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security to “automatically authenticate travellers,” according to a July statement from the local government.

This will get rid of prior registration that passengers normally need to do as soon as they get to the airport.

Etihad Airways already has biometric systems in place that use facial recognition before boarding and assists with self-service baggage delivery and traveller check-ins.

That means people won’t need their boarding passes to board one of Etihad’s planes.  The technology is also being implemented for five additional airlines at check-in and boarding gates.

These new technologies means it will take roughly seven seconds from the 25 at regular kiosks to go through the entire ticket and travel document verification process.

The project “will enhance airline performance by eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure expansions and effectively detecting fraud and forgery in identification documents,” a statement from Abu Dhabi Airports reads.

Biometric advances in EU airports

Italian authorities started trials in May on a similar software called FaceBoarding that uses facial recognition at two airports: Milano Linate and Catania.

Travellers use airport kiosks to show their documents and scan their faces. That lets them use FaceBoarding again at other checkpoints, making it faster for security and boarding.

SEA, the company managing the new Italian system, says on the Milano-Linate airport websitethat those who opt-in to Faceboarding will have their data processed only “for the purpose of participation in the project”.

“Facial images are not stored, but are only used to create a biometric template required for passing security checks and eventually board at the gate,” their website continued.

Individual airlines like ITA Airways and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have also signed up to use the system for their clients.

The EU is also getting ready to launch its Entry/Exit System (EES), an automatic registration system for travellers from the UK and non-EU countries.

That system asks travellers without long-stay visas to scan their faces and passports at self-serve kiosks when they cross EU borders.

A traveller’s name, biometrics, and date of entry/exit will be recorded and retained for up to three years after each trip.

The system will launch on November 10, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson previously told Euronews.

Author

  • Daniela Daecher

    Daniela Daecher is a twenty-something bookworm and coffee addict with a passion for geeking out over sci fi, tv, movies, and books. In 2013 she completed her BA in English with a specialization in Linguistics. In 2014 she completed her MA in Linguistics, focusing on the relationship between language and communication in written form. She currently lives in Munich, Germany.

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