With the festive season officially underway, many Brits are preparing for trips to Christmas markets and winter getaways.
However, new research from Confused.com reveals that over a quarter (28 percent) of UK holidaymakers are reconsidering travel plans due to rising tourist tax charges – a cost that’s catching many off guard.
Nearly one in four (73 percent) of travellers are unaware of when they need to pay tourist taxes and nearly one in five underestimate the cost by an average of 37 percent, according to the survey. 18 percent have been left out of pocket when they forgot about the additional charge.
More worryingly, over a fifth (22 percent) have had to use a credit card or even borrow money to pay for tourist tax, the research carried out by One Poll on 2,000 UK adults who travel for leisure suggests.
The analysis, completed between October 15 and 21, also revealed that unexpected tourism taxes have impacted holiday spending, people’s moods and the length of their stay.
Tourist tax is a charge added on top of travellers accommodation costs. This can be a day rate or a percentage of the total cost of your room.
For those headed off for one of Europe’s best Christmas markets, Berlin adds a charge of 5 percent of total accommodation costs, while Vienna’s is set at 3.2 percent. In Paris, the tax ranges from 2.60 euros (£2.16) to 10.73 euros (£8.91) based on the level of accommodation.
In Belgium, tourist taxes are a day rate, with 3.75 euros (£3.12) per person, per night in Bruges while in Brussels it increases to five euros (£4.15) for hotels and four euros (£3.32) for other accommodation.
In New York City, famed for its Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the tourist tax increases to as much as 14.75 percent of the room rate plus a further $3.50 (£2.75).
However, not every city has a tourist tax. Other festive destinations such as Krakow, Stockholm and Denmark don’t currently charge additional taxes for tourists. If you are heading to a destination that doesn’t have tourist tax, make sure you check online before travelling as the country may have only recently introduced it.
Passengers aren’t just financially impacted by these additional costs. Almost a third (29 percent) of UK travellers said these taxes started their trip off on the wrong foot, particularly those from Northern Ireland (43 percent) and Wales (37 percent).
As a result, over half (53 percent) of people travelling from Wales, 47 percent from South West and 45 percent of East Midlands had less spending money for activities. Meanwhile, those from Yorkshire and the Humber (37 percent) were most likely to use credit cards or borrow money to manage these expenses.
Alvaro Inturmendi, travel insurance expert at Confused.com said: “Christmas markets are a popular holiday for holidaymakers to enjoy the festive season and explore new cities. But what many aren’t aware of is the additional taxes they may have to pay when you get there. There’s no fixed cost for this, and it varies by country and city. Planning ahead will make sure you’re not having to dip into your spending money before the trip begins.
“Many hotels will also request that the tax is paid in cash. Before you go, find out exactly how much you need to pay so you have the right cash.”
