Travel warning news: UK holidaymakers warned over tourist tax - here are the European city destinations where you will need to pay the charge

Holidaymakers are being warned of additional costs they may incur on their getaways due to increasing tourist taxes. A popular holiday destination in Portugal, Lagoa, is the latest hotspot to introduce the fee that has to be paid all-year-round and applies to everyone over the age of 12.

The money generated by the Lagoa Municipal Tourist Tax measure will be used to “improve the tourism infrastructure at a local level”. It has now become the fifth Algarve borough to charge a tourist tax, following the likes of Vila Real de Santo António, Faro, Olhão and, most recently, Portimão. Albufeira mayor José Carlos Rolo has also already revealed plans to start charging a tourist tax in May.

UK globetrotters have been issued the travel warning as several popular cities across Europe hike charges issued to visitors. Tourism taxes range from less than €1 to almost €15 and can be imposed per person per night. People hoping to keep the cost of their trip low could be caught out if not aware of the additional fees.

In 2022, city authorities announced that Barcelona’s tourist tax would be increased over the next two years. The council said the proceeds will be used to fund the city’s infrastructure, including improvements to roads, bus services and escalators.

Travel destinations that have more recently imposed tourist taxes include the likes of Venice, Amsterdam and Edinburgh. Popular holiday locations issuing charges to holiday makers are listed below.

Venice

Tourists visiting Venice for the day will have to pay a €5 (£4.27) entry fee to enter the city between the hours of 8.30am and 4.00pm. The scheme is currently going through a trial period, but it is expected to come fully into force next year.

Manchester 

The city introduced a £1 per room per night tourist tax across 73 hotels to fund improvement measures to attract more tourists.

Barcelona

A recent increase to the existing tourist fee means visitors now pay €3.25 (£2.78), up from €2.75 (£2.35), to stay in some accommodation. 

Lisbon

The Portuguese capital enforces a €2 (£1.71) per person fee for every night tourists stay but it is only applied for a maximum of seven nights. 

Athens

Tourist tax in Athens varies depending on the hotel category and the time of year, ranging anywhere from €0.50 (43p) - €10 (£8.54) per room per night.

Sicily

In Sicily, fees range from €1 to €3 per night.

Rome

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

Dubrovnik

Visitors to Dubrovnik must pay €2.65 (£2.26) per person per night throughout April to September. The Croatian government has temporarily reduced this fee to €1.86 (£1.59) for the rest of this year.

Paris

France charges visitors a tourist tax, which varies depending on the type of accommodation. The most expensive charge is €14.95 (£12.77). Those staying in a typical four-star hotel are charged around €8 (£6.83).

Prague

For visitors to Prague, tourist tax has increased from 21 to 50 CZK each day (71p - £1.69).

Budapest

Tourists staying in Budapest are charged an additional 4% each night, which is calculated based on the price of the room.

Berlin

Tourists must now pay 5% of the room price, excluding VAT and service fees. 

Portimão

Portimão has followed in the footsteps of neighbouring towns by introducing a tourist tax in March. The port city in Portugal's Algarve will vary the tax from high to low season, setting it at €2 per night from April to October and €1 per night from November to March. 

Olhão, a Portuguese fishing town popular with tourists, similarly started charging visitors €2 a night between April and October last year. The tax is reduced to €1 between November and March. It does not apply to children under the age of 16 and is capped at five nights - so a maximum of €10 - per trip.

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).

Lagoa

Lagoa, a city and municipality in the district of Faro in Portugal, is the latest Portuguese municipality to introduce a tourist tax. The tourist tax in the municipality will cost €1 per night between November 1 and March 31.

In the high season, which runs from April 1 to October 31, it will cost €2 per night. A maximum of seven consecutive nights will be charged to all guests aged 13 or over. The tax will apply to anyone staying in hotels, apartments, hostels, camping and caravan parks, plus other accommodation establishments.

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.

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.

Amsterdam

The Netherlands has a land tourist tax and a water tourist tax. In Amsterdam, this currently amounts to 7 per cent of the cost of a hotel room. It’s called 'toeristenbelasting'. In 2024, it will rise to 12.5 per cent, making it the highest tourist tax in Europe. 

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. It only applies to stays under 40 days.

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.

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.