Travel to some of the world’s most popular destinations is more expensive now, thanks to new tourist fees for 2024. Cities and countries around the globe are imposing additional taxes and surcharges on travelers, some of which are quite hefty.
In many cases, the goal is to reduce the impact of over-tourism. Some locations need the money to offset the cost of climate change or support their post-pandemic economic recovery. Meanwhile, Paris enacted some steep hikes to help pay for the Summer Olympics. Keep reading to ensure these higher travel costs— and the United Kingdom’s new entry requirements! — don’t catch you by surprise.
Here are some of the new tourist fees to watch out for in 2024.
France (Paris)
In anticipation of the Summer Olympics (July 26 – August 11), Paris in January 2024 tripled the tourist tax on hotel rooms. Depending on the class of accommodation, the nightly surcharge now ranges from $.80 to $16.25. And that’s not all. The cost of a single ride on the metro will nearly double to $4.35, unless you live in the city. In that case, you can still pay the old price.
Iceland
From 2022 to 2023, Iceland saw a roughly 25% jump in the number of tourists. So effective January 1 of this year, it reinstated a prior accommodation tax that was suspended during the pandemic. The amount varies from $2.20-$4.40 per night, depending on the type of accommodation (mobile home, campsite, guesthouse, or hotel). The charge applies to cruise ship passengers, too— they must pay about $7.35 per night while at Icelandic ports. An already expensive destination just got pricier.
Indonesia (Bali)
Foreign visitors to Bali will pay about $10 per person upon arrival, beginning February 14, 2024. The disappointing reason for this surcharge? Past visitors were disrespectful and destructive, prompting the need for funds to protect the island’s beauty and cultural heritage. Indonesia will install payment kiosks at the airport to collect the fee.
Italy (Venice)
The historic center of Venice is home to about 51,000 people but sees approximately 30 million visitors each year. Only 10% of those tourists stay in the city overnight. As a result, in 2024 Venice will become the first city in the world to impose a fee on day-trippers.
The charge of 5 Euros (about $5.50) will be imposed on 30 days coinciding with peak travel periods (e.g., long weekends and holidays) from April to mid-July. It applies only to day visitors over the age of 14 who enter the historic center between 08:30 and 16:00. Residents and hotel guests are exempt. You can find the exact list of dates and pay the fee here.
Need an alternative to Venice? Want to see more of Italy? Consider a day in Pompeii, which became a time capsule of the ancient Roman Empire when Mt. Vesuvius buried it in volcanic debris in 79 AD.
Netherlands (Amsterdam)
Amsterdam, like Venice, became too popular and a few years ago actually launched a campaign to discourage some types of tourism. The city already had Europe’s highest tourism tax, and for 2024 it raised the rate even more— to 12.5%. Cruise-ship passengers will pay extra, too— about $12 per day.
Spain (Barcelona and Valencia)
Like Amsterdam, Barcelona a few years ago initiated steps to limit the number of visitors. Starting in April 2024, the city will raise its tax on tourist accommodations. At about $3.50 per night, the tariff is still less than in many other cities, and it applies only to the first seven nights of your stay. However, there is an existing regional tax on all tourist accommodation, too.
The entire region of Valencia— including the city of the same name— will soon introduce its own tourist tax of $.60 to $2.20 per night, depending on the type of lodging. Hotels, bed and breakfasts, rentals, and campsites are all covered.
United Kingdom
I previously reported that new entry requirements for travel to Europe will take effect in 2025 and apply to most travelers— including American and Canadian citizens— who previously were visa-exempt. Visitors to these 30+ European countries will need a travel authorization from the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, or ETIAS, at a cost per person of about $7.70.
The United Kingdom (UK)— consisting of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland— is no longer part of the European Union and is not covered by ETIAS. Instead, the UK in 2024 launched its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. It’s already in place for some nationalities and will be expanded in phases to include nearly all visitors. The cost per traveler is about $12.75. For more details about the program— including the implementation schedule and how to apply for an ETA— click here.
United States
When I first blogged about ETIAS and its $7.70 price tag, some Americans reacted negatively to the news on my Facebook page. Most of them didn’t realize the United States already charges foreign visitors a steeper fee to visit here.
So to be fair, I should point out the occupancy tax on hotels in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis. Milwaukee, Anaheim, and the entire states of Hawaii and Rhode Island are all higher than even Amsterdam’s tax.
More to Come?
Many additional locations already imposed taxes and surcharges on travelers. I’ve listed here only the most significant, new tourist fees for 2024 to help you budget. Note that Edinburgh, Scotland, and Madrid, Spain, are close to implementing new surcharges of their own that could take effect later this year.
It’s hard to predict what impact, if any, these higher costs will have on travelers’ enthusiasm for popular destinations. But one thing is certain— you’ll want to read my articles about finding low airfares and saving money on travel to offset these new tourist fees for 2024!
And for free places to stay, check out my articles about Workaway and home exchanges. Or if an overseas trip just isn’t an option this year, learn how to visit stunning national parks for free right here in the United States!
