The tourist tax, or a percentage that temporary visitors either see added to their hotel bill or pay directly upon entering the country, started out as a joke but has quickly spread over the last five years to many nations, seeing spikes in tourism.
Popular European cities like Amsterdam and Valencia have been adding such a tax to hotel and rental property stays for years while Thailand, New Zealand, Bali and Portugal are some of the new destinations that have recently imposed, raised or are considering one.
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Tourist tax about ‘building trust,’ lawmaker says
While it was once considered a remote and off-the-beaten-path destination, the Nordic nation of Norway has also been grappling with tourist numbers higher than its industry can handle. In 2024, the country saw a record 16.7 million overnight visits in the summer months while many also come to Norway on cruise lines like Norwegian (NCLH) and Royal Caribbean (RCL) -owned Celebrity.
On April 13, Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth confirmed that a bill currently before the Norwegian parliament would charge 3% of the cost of one’s hotel or other overnight stay. Lawmakers initially proposed 6%, but the number was eventually lowered amid outcry that it would deter tourism from parts of the country that need it.
Related: The latest tourist tax aims to preserve a declining language
The proposed tax is being written as an optional charge that municipalities can choose to either implement or not.
“We know not every municipality needs this, but in high-pressure areas, it’s about building trust between the local population and visitors,” Myrseth said in an interview with local broadcaster NRK,
Fellow Nordic country Iceland has instituted a similar tax in 2024 to offset the impact that high visitor numbers were having on remote areas. Wales has argued that their version of the tax should go toward preserving and promoting the use of Welsh, a Celtic language that has been in rapid decline over the last two decades.
The most popular Norwegian ports are Bergen, Ålesund, and Flam.
Image source: Getty Images
Norway is a very popular cruise destination (here is what the tax means for them)
“Most of our guests visit our unspoiled nature and obviously that creates a pressure.” then-Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said in an interview with Bloomberg Television when the tax was first being proposed in 2023.
More on travel:
United Airlines places big bet on new flights to trendy destinationGovernment issues new travel advisory on popular beach destinationAnother country just issued a new visa requirement for visitors
While Norway’s tax would not affect cruise ship travelers who are spending the night on the ship rather than in local accommodation, a large number of Norwegian visitors book tours to see the fjords and get their first entry to the country in this way.
Norway reported just under seven million cruise ship visitors in 2024, while higher projections are expected for 2025 and beyond.
Popular European ports like Dubrovnik and Nice have struggled with cruise-related overtourism in particular and have imposed restrictions specific to the size of the ship that can enter. The latter French city has now officially banned liners carrying more than 900 passengers or larger than 190 meters from docking in the port city of 354,000 permanent residents starting from July 1.
Mayor Christian Estrosi has controversially framed it as “pollut[ing] and dump[ing[ their low-cost clientele who consume nothing but leave their waste behind.”
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