Travellers warned over rising tourist tax

Travellers are being warned to plan ahead and avoid being stung by costly tourist tax this summer, as more countries look to charge visitors.

Travel insurance comparison experts from Quotezone.co.uk are providing Britons with their very own tourist tax guide for some of the most popular holiday destinations to help them with their holiday planning.

This comes after news that holiday hotspots like Greece, France and the Netherlands are increasing their tourist tax in preparation for record visitor numbers.

More destinations around the world are also introducing tourist taxes in response to over-tourism and government concerns around local environments and cultural heritage.

Edinburgh joins the list of popular holiday destinations set to charge visitors from July 2026, and Thailand is also following the success of European holiday hotspots and introducing a fee for visitors from mid-2025.

Helen Rolph, travel insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk 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.

“Scotland’s capital will charge visitors a 5% levy on hotel costs, while Thailand looks set to bring in a charge of around £6.86.

“The new and increasing tourist fees across Europe allow cities to fund measures to attract more holidaymakers, support the local infrastructure and businesses, and to prevent damages from overtourism.

“As holidays surge in price this year by over 10%,* we encourage all travellers to look into the tourist taxes in place before booking a holiday destination, to help avoid any unexpected extra costs they haven’t budgeted for.”

Tourist Tax Across Key Holiday Hotspots

1.Scotland – 5% levy on top of accommodation cost

The popular capital city 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. Travellers heading to these luxurious islands should expect to face costs of €20.00 per night, which will need to be paid 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

2025 marks the start of significant changes to the French tourism tax system, and the updates are a part of the French government’s initiative to boost regional infrastructure, with a focus on public transport. 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.

Quotezone.co.uk can help holidaymakers compare travel insurance and find savings on European travel insurance, travel insurance for families and even those who need travel insurance for pre-existing conditions.

Last year’s tourist tax fees can be found here, 2024 statistics.

References:
*https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/package-holiday-price-rises-2025-aXww69b8JyJ3

Tax fee references;
Edinburgh: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/business/visitor-levy-edinburgh/3
Greece: https://connectingregion.com/world/greece-introduces-higher-tourist-taxes-to-support-sustainability/
Venice: https://www.visit-venice-italy.com/venice-paid-access-tax-for-tourists-regulations-terms-price-exemptions.html
Portugal: https://www.cntraveller.com/article/tourist-tax-the-destinations-youll-have-to-pay-to-enter
France: https://escec-international.com/evolution-of-the-tourist-tax-rate-taxe-de-sejour-in-ile-de-france-for-2025-2/
Thailand: https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel-to-thailand/thai-tourist-tax-is-back-under-new-government