While initially appearing in some corners of the internet as a joke, the idea of a “tourist tax” is being increasingly picked up by some countries and cities dealing with the effects of overtourism.
Over the last year, cities such as Venice and Cancun have introduced the fee for any non-resident coming in while Iceland, the Bahamas and the Indonesian island of Bali are all presently in the midst of holding public discussions on the idea.
Related: A popular European city is introducing the highest ‘tourist tax’ yet
While the speech focused on the mass devastation caused by the wildfires that spread through Maui last August, Hawaiian Governor Josh Green floated the idea of a “modest fee” charged to tourists coming into the state at the annual State of the State address on Jan. 22.
A photo captures the wing of a Hawaiian Airlines plane as it flies over the state.
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Hawaiian Governor says: ‘I believe this is not too much to ask’
While the details would need to be worked out and voted in by Hawaii’s lawmakers, Green envisions it as a $25 “Climate Impact Fee” that would be charged when guests check into a hotel, resort or short-term rental property and go toward mitigating the impacts of fossil fuels on the state’s ecology.
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“I believe this is not too much to ask of visitors to our islands,” Green said in his speech. “Hawaii’s natural resources — our beaches, forests, and waterfalls — are an essential part of our culture and our way of life.”
Green said that, if implemented, what is a nominal fee on top of one’s vacation to Hawaii could generate up to $68 million that would go toward beach and rainforest preservation each year. The fee is still just a floated idea and Green said that he is also “open to other proposals that would achieve the same goals.”
Another idea proposed by Green is a “transient accommodation fee” specifically for the most tourist-heavy places such as Honolulu or the entire island of Oahu.
These parts of the world are already charging a tourist tax
That said, the idea of such a tax is becoming increasingly commonplace in different pockets of the world. In Europe, this is often added as a tax to one’s hotel bill — the exact amount can range from two euros ($2.18 USD) per day in Spain’s Valencia or 7% of the hotel price and an additional three euros ($3.26 USD) a night in Amsterdam.
After seeing hordes of tourists last summer, Venice is also testing a program in which those who come into the city for the day during the most popular summer periods will pay five euros ($5.44) in order to encourage visitors to travel during less busy periods.
Particularly prone to erosion due to rising sea levels, the African island nation of Maldives has what it calls the “green tax” which can be lowered from $6 to $3 a day if one chooses to stay in an eco-friendly guesthouse instead of a traditional hotel.
The Caribbean nation of Bonaire charges this tax as a $75 “entry fee” while one of the highest tourist taxes in the world is the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation Bahrain, which charges every visitor a $200-per-day “sustainable development fee.”
