Three popular European cities are introducing new “tourist taxes” amid rows raging over a proposed EU tourist tax that all Britons would have to pay to cross the EU border.
Venice, Valencia and Barcelona will all impose new tourist taxes throughout 2023, a move some travel agencies have warned will hurt the holiday industry.
Some of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations already charge their own nightly tourist tax to curb overtourism.
There is a growing dispute over an EU visitor tax. Under the EU plan, all non-EU tourists must pay €7 for visa-free entry – and this must be renewed every three years.
The set, called the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), will apply to travelers visiting the Schengen area from November.
Venice visitors already pay an overnight fee of up to €5, a new daily fee for visitors of up to €10 to enter the city
Barcelona, the Catalan capital, already has a tourist tax, but this year it will be more expensive
The ETIAS charge is in addition to the local tourist tax in the visiting country or region.
It gives people visa-free entry for up to 90 days, during which visitors are not allowed to work or study but can “engage in business and tourism activities,” according to the Schengen Visa Info website.
The ETIAS is valid for a maximum of three years and applies to multiple entries. Those under 18 and over 70 are exempt from the fee.
The website states that visitors “can enter the Schengen member states as many times as you like, as long as your ETIAS is valid and you have not stayed more than 90 days in any 180-day period”.
As well as the levy, holidaymakers could soon face significant additional overnight costs, particularly in Venice, where a proposed tax would cost day visitors €3 to €10 to enter the city.
However, that tax has been postponed several times, most recently in December 2022, partly due to protests from local residents who fear it will drive tourists elsewhere.
The city already charges visitors a lodging tax of between €1 and €5 per night.
The new daily rate has been delayed until at least June 2023.
A growing number of Spanish regions also charge fees for each night’s hotel stay.
Valencia will introduce an entirely new tourist tax later this year.
Depending on the type of accommodation, from camping to hotels, tourists have to pay 50 cents to 2 euros.
The Spanish city of Valencia will introduce a tourist tax for visitors in 2023
It is hoped visitor fees will prevent ‘over-tourism’, but locals fear it will hurt the economy
Barcelona, the Catalan capital, already has a tourist tax, but it will be increased this year.
The tax, first introduced in 2012, means that tourists must pay both the local tourist tax and a city surcharge.
Recent figures show Catalonia charges up to €3.25 a night, depending on the type of accommodation, while Barcelona’s price will rise to €2.75 from April, with a second increase in April 2024 to €3.25.
Other cities across Europe already charge a nightly fee for visitors. In Brussels, holidaymakers pay around €7.50 per night and room.
Charging points include Prague, German cities such as Berlin and Hamburg, Budapest and Amsterdam.
In other countries such as France, the tax is levied on holidaymakers regardless of location.
In the vast majority of cases, the fees are collected automatically and are included in the cost of booking the accommodation.
It comes after the Costa del Sol issued a stern “leave tourism alone” message this week as fears mount over the new EU-wide tourist tax.
Tourism leaders have said they are completely against the idea of Britons having to pay an extra €7 (£6.20) every time they want to holiday in Spain.
In a clear message to the EU, one of the Costa del Sol’s leaders said she should stop interfering and let Spain manage its own tourism affairs.
Earlier this week, tourism organization Mesa del Turismo issued a stark warning about the loss of millions of Britons if the European Union introduces a new tourist tax later this year.
The group says this could be a big problem for Spain and has labeled the possible new charges as a “threat”.
READ MORE: Spain warns EU proposed ‘tourist tax’ on Britons ‘poses a threat’ to their economy and British holidaymakers will look elsewhere
During the AGM, the group expressed its concerns about the introduction of the new tourist tax for non-EU visitors entering the Schengen area.
The board said in a statement on Monday: “[We are] particularly concerned about the impact of this EU tax on UK tourism, our most important emission market with 18 million arrivals in 2019.
“It must also be taken into account that the measure – if implemented – will be on top of the rest of the local taxes that tourists already pay to visit certain European cities.”
Francisco Salado, president of the provincial council of Malaga, also spoke out against the EU tax.
“Leave tourism alone!” he said at a press conference.
“Tourism works very well exclusively through the sector and the relevant brokers such as Turismo Costa del Sol and Turismo Andaluz.”
He told journalists that tourism is the economic engine of Malaga and Andalusia and criticized the future tax.
He added: “Stop inventing. Every time we launch a product, we do it because we improve tourism quality, and imposition ultimately does not improve quality.
“This increases the cost of the end product and makes us less competitive.
“The EU continues to think about how to impose new taxes on local authorities.
“Laws are made and we, the municipalities and the citizens, pay. I consider it a lack of loyalty that the local authorities are not involved in these decisions.”
The president of Malaga Provincial Council, pictured, spoke out against the tax
The Costa del Sol has a blistering “leave tourism alone!” message amid growing fears over a new EU tourist tax (File photo: Aerial view of the Costa del Sol, Benalmadena, Malaga, Spain)
Another concern Mesa raised earlier this week was Lufthansa’s plan to turn Rome Fiumicino Airport into its new hub for intercontinental routes to Asia, the Americas and Africa.
The group said: “This move will undermine the Madrid Barajas hub, which currently focuses air traffic on Latin America, and will consequently reduce the relevance of the Spanish brand.”
The ETIAS applies to visitors from 63 countries – including the UK – outside the European Union. It was first confirmed by the EU in August 2021.
The system is similar to the United States’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which allows citizens of 40 countries to stay visa-free for 90 days.
Like the US system, the ETIAS allows people visa-free entry for up to 90 days, during which visitors are not allowed to work or study but can “engage in business and tourism activities,” according to the Schengen Visa Info website .
The EU version is valid for up to three years and applies to multiple entries. Those under 18 and over 70 are exempt from the fee.
The website states that visitors “can enter the Schengen member states as many times as you like, as long as your ETIAS is valid and you have not stayed more than 90 days in any 180-day period”.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
