Tourist tax news and recent changes
Changes to tourist taxes we've tracked, newest first, each with its source.
- Cardiff levy now applies to new bookings Bookings made from today for Cardiff stays from 1 April 2027 carry the £1.30 per person per night levy. Source: Welsh Government
- Venice mayor floats a €30 day-tripper fee Venice's mayor suggested charging day visitors up to about €30 on peak days in future; Italian law caps the fee at €10, so it would need a change in the law. Source: ANSA
- Conwy defers and Gwynedd delays their levy decisions Conwy councillors voted 29 to 9 to defer a visitor levy; Gwynedd delayed its decision after 6,856 consultation responses. Anglesey has decided against. Source: Nation.Cymru
- England's mayors to get visitor levy powers The government confirmed an overnight visitor levy for England: a percentage of the room price, set by mayors and strategic authorities, with no national cap. A Bill is still needed. Source: GOV.UK
- Five Norwegian towns apply for a tourist tax Tromsø, Vågan, Lyngen, Karlsøy and Stranda have applied to charge 3% on overnight stays from 2027. None is approved yet. Source: NRK
- Highland consults on a flat £5 levy Highland Council opened a 12-week consultation on £5 per room per night (£2 in hostels and campsites), nine months a year. Mid-2028 at the earliest. Source: Highland Council
- Thailand backs a 450 baht entry fee A 450 baht fee for foreign visitors was approved in principle, with consultation until 28 September 2026. It still needs Cabinet approval; the target is early 2027. Source: Nation Thailand
- Venice's 2026 access fee trial ends The day-tripper fee ran on 60 days from April to July 2026 (€5, or €10 if paid late). Since 27 July visits are free again; 2027 is undecided. Source: Venezia Unica
- Edinburgh's visitor levy goes live The UK's first legal city tourist tax: 5% of the room price before VAT on the first 5 nights of each stay. Source: City of Edinburgh Council
- Japan's departure tax triples to ¥3,000 The International Tourist Tax on everyone leaving Japan rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000. Source: Japan Tourism Agency
- Vienna's Ortstaxe rises to 5% Vienna's local tax rose to 5% of the price of a stay (before VAT and breakfast), and goes to 8% in July 2027. Source: City of Vienna
- Tokyo to switch to a 3% accommodation tax in 2027 The national government agreed to Tokyo charging 3% of the room price per person per night from 1 April 2027, including private lets. Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
- Amsterdam plans to raise its tourist tax to 20% Amsterdam's new coalition plans 16% from 2027, rising a point a year to 20% by 2031. Not yet adopted; 12.5% applies in 2026. Source: Hospitality Management
- Scottish councils can now charge flat-rate levies The Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2026 lets councils charge a fixed amount per room or night, not only a percentage. Source: legislation.gov.uk
- Barcelona's tourist tax doubles Under Catalan Law 2/2026, a 5-star hotel in Barcelona now costs €12 per person per night, rising to €15 by 2029 as the city surcharge goes up €1 a year. Source: Catalan Tax Agency
- Milan raises its 5-star rate to €12 Milan's new tourist tax rates put 5-star hotels at €12 per person per night, while 1 to 3-star hotels got cheaper. Source: Comune di Milano
- Cardiff approves a visitor levy Cardiff became the first Welsh council to adopt the levy, from 1 April 2027. Source: Cardiff Council
- Kyoto brings in a ¥10,000 top rate Kyoto replaced its three accommodation tax bands with five, from ¥200 to ¥10,000 per person per night. Source: Kyoto City
- Hawaii raises its hotel tax to 11% Hawaii's state transient accommodations tax rose from 10.25% to 11% under the Green Fee law. Source: Hawaii Department of Taxation
- New Paris rates for 2026 Paris taxe de séjour rates for 2026 run from €0.65 (small campsites) to €15.93 (palace hotels) per adult per night. Source: Service-Public
- Iceland cuts its cruise passenger fee Iceland's infrastructure fee for international cruise passengers fell from ISK 2,500 to ISK 1,600 per day. Source: Althingi
- Stirling agrees a 3% levy Stirling Council agreed a year-round 3% visitor levy for stays from 14 June 2027. Source: Stirling Council