New tourist taxes are hitting travellers where it hurts most: in their pockets. Wise Traveller offers a review of the taxes that are set to bite in 2025.
Venice, Italy
Venice is among the more controversial cities to have adopted the tourist tax amid the tourist onslaught, particularly from the cruise ship community. Authorities have indicated they would extend the ticketing policy for day-trippers in 2025, reporting that last year's trial scheme had "slightly" reduced crowds.
The city, built on islands in a lagoon, will designate 54 days in 2025, up from 29 last year, when visitors will have to pay in advance for a ticket to enter the historic centre.
Venice rolled out the trial last April. Day-trippers paid a "Venice Access Fee" of five euros on certain days in what officials called an experiment to make the city more "liveable." Those without tickets risked fines ranging from 50 to 300 euros, with spot checks at key entry points.
Venice is one of the world's top tourist destinations, but there are concerns it is drowning under the weight of crowds. At peak times, 100,000 tourists spend the night in the city, while tens of thousands descend on it just for the day, many from cruise ships.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh will introduce Scotland's first tourist tax, The Visitor Levy. Any trips booked from July 2026, and booked after October 2025 will be affected. The Visitor Levy will be added to accommodation charges and apply to anyone staying in paid overnight accommodation in the city. It will extend to all visitors, including UK and Scottish residents.
Greece
If you plan to visit Greece between November and February, expect to pay a daily tax of €2. During high season, the cost will rise to €8 daily.
Portugal
Whether you pay a tourist tax in Portugal depends on the municipality you're visiting. In 2024, at least 26 municipalities were charging a tax to visit, including many spots in the Algarve and near the capital, Lisbon.
Setúbal, Caminhas and Madeira all introduced a tax of €2 per person per night in 2024. Lisbon's tourist tax doubled from €1 to €2 in September 2024. Faro's high-season tourist tax also doubled to €2 but was reduced from €1.50 to €1 for low-season visitors (November to February). The Azores will begin charging €2 per person per night in 2025.
Paris, France
Paris is launching new rules for tourist taxes for 2025. That's after the pre-Olympics hike made in 2024 of almost 200%. There's a tourist tax and a regional tax, and both are based on your accommodation type. For example, staying in a five-star hotel will set you back €11.38 pppn compared to €1.95 for a three-to-five-star campsite.
Amsterdam, Holland
In 2024, Amsterdam raised its fee for visitors from 7% to 12.5%. That is about €21.80 per night for an average room rate of €175 per person. In 2025, the fee for those arriving for overnight stays by river or sea will rise from €14 to €14.50 per person.
Barcelona, Spain
Tourists visiting Barcelona must pay both a regional tourist tax and the city tax, which went up in April 2024 from €2.75 to €3.25 per night for up to seven nights and then to €4 per night in October. Barcelona's additional regional tax has not increased, and depends on your accommodation.
According to multiple news sources in pulling this information together, other countries charge a tourist tax, either as part of accommodation, visa or plane ticket costs. They include:
Austria: Added to the accommodation bill, and is around 3.2% in Vienna
Bhutan: $100 for adults until September 2027
Caribbean: St Lucia charges $3-$6, while the Dominican Republic charges a little higher
Germany: The standard tourist tax for Berlin is 5% of the accommodation price
Indonesia: €10 a night for Bali
Japan: €5 a night
Malaysia: €2 a night
Andy Probert is an independent PR writer and journalist who writes about travel experiences, airlines, airports, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mirror, as well as many newspapers/magazines globally.
