If you’re planning a summer holiday but don’t want to get caught out by surprise taxes, it’s wise to research which countries have brought in tourist taxes – and which ones are hiking their existing ones. Tourist taxes are brought in as a way to combat overtourism, and reinvest into countries infrastructure to ensure that it can support not only the native population, but visitors too.
Travel insurance comparison experts from Quotezone.co.uk have revealed eight countries that are either introducing or hiking their existing tourist taxes. Helen Rolph, a travel insurance expert, said: “The concept of a tourist tax isn’t a new one, but it is certainly something many more countries have introduced over the last few years. Many of these countries seem to be charging tourists in response to overtourism concerns.”
Below is a list of the new places with tourist taxes in 2025
1.Scotland – 5% levy on top of accommodation cost
Edinburgh has announced it will be introducing Scotland’s first ever tourist tax from July 2026. Any trips booked after the 1st of October 2025 will be affected, in what they are calling the Visitor Levy. This charge will apply to anyone staying overnight in the city and will extend to all visitors including Scottish residents.
2. Greece – €8.00 per night
Greece has revealed a significant price hike in daily fees for tourists, in an attempt to enhance infrastructure and promote sustainable tourism. The previous charge for tourists in Greece was €0.50. Now, tourists will pay €8.00 per night between April and October, or €2.00 per night outside of this peak season. This steep increase is reportedly to help fund climate change adaption, disaster prevention and infrastructure improvements.
3. Santorini and Mykonos – €20.00 per night
In an attempt to combat overtourism, this year Greece is putting even higher visitor taxes on their most sought-after islands, Santorini and Mykonos. This whopping tax is in place per night and will need to be paid right away at the port.
4.Venice – €5.00 per day
In 2024, tourists visiting Venice during peak hours of the day faced costs as part of a trial scheme. This scheme is now coming into full force in 2025. The Venice Entry Tax is due for visitors to the city between 8:30 and 16:00 on certain dates in April, May, June and July.
5.Portugal – €2.00 per day
Tourist tax charges are applied in 13 popular Portuguese cities, including Lisbon and Porto. Visitors must pay a charge of €2.00 per day during the high season of April to October.
6.Netherlands – 12.5% of overnight stay
Last year, visiting the popular city break destination of Amsterdam in the Netherlands got even more expensive, as they increased their tourist tax to 12.5% of your overnight hotel rate. Other cities in the Netherlands are also imposing taxes on visitors, it is important to check the rates of your holiday destination before booking to make sure you can account for the additional costs in your budget.
7.France – up to €11.38 per night
The tourist tax rate varies depending on type and category of accommodation, with charges as high as €11.38 per night for five-star accommodation, €8.45 per night for four-star accommodation and €5.53 per night for three star accommodation in the Parisian capital.
8.Thailand – 300 THB (£6.86)
Following the success of European tourist taxes, Thailand is proposing a new travel tax to come into effect from mid-2025. Tourists will be subject to a fee of 300 THB, or around £6.86, when arriving by plane.
