An increasing number of cities and holiday hotspots have been introducing a type of tourist tax.
The fee of the tourist tax changes from area to area, and generally the money raised is used by local government to stave off the issues coming with over-tourism and improve services for locals.
In light of the ever-growing list of destinations asking tourists to pay an added fee to enjoy their holidays, Express.co.uk is now asking its readers whether a tourist tax would put them off visiting their favourite holiday destinations.
Some countries, such as Malaysia and Switzerland, require each visitor to pay a fee for each night spent in the area.
Others, such as Japan, require a payment of around £6.90 to be made by travellers upon leaving the country.
The tourist tax’s fee and nature depend in part on what local governments want to achieve with its introduction.
Venice, which has been trying to regulate the number of its visitors to make sure residents can still enjoy their city, will trial this year a different type of tourist tax.
On weekends and other days between April and mid-July expected to be particularly busy, Venetian authorities will require visitors to pay a £4.31 (€5) upon entrance.
The new tax is going to be paid only by people entering the city between 8.30am and 4pm local time, which means visitors heading to Venice only for a dinner or evening show won’t have to pay the fee.
This fee aims at reducing crowds and encouraging people to stay in Venice for more than one day, which would represent a boost for the local economy.
Two other beloved holiday destinations are introducing a tourist tax in 2024 – Bali and Valencia.
The Indonesian holiday hotspot will require tourists, from February 14, to pay a £7.59 (IDR 150,000) fee upon arrival at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.
On the other hand, the Spanish region is asking travellers to pay an extra fee – between 43p (50 cents) and £1.75 (€2) – per night for up to seven nights.
Valencia is following in the footsteps of other cities in Spain, including Barcelona, which has been asking visitors for a tourist tax for years.
