Travellers face paying up to €15 more per night while holidaying in Europe, a British insurance analysis business has warned, as more countries and cities impose tourism taxes and visitor levies.
"Tourists are being encouraged to incorporate additional costs into their holiday budget ahead of their spring and summer trips, to avoid being left out of pocket," according to quotezone.co.uk, which publishes information about insurance plans and prices, including for travel.
Among the "many" places to have hopped on the tourism tax bandwagon is Paris, host city for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which is charging up to €14.95 per night, while Barcelona this month raised the tax by €0.50 to €3.25 a night.
While the travel industry has largely recovered after being shut down during the Covid pandemic, Europeans have faced a wave of inflationary pressures in recent years, with prices of food, fuel, transport and other necessities soaring.
"If you’re taking a trip to any city in Europe this year, you must be aware of the potential additional costs to your holiday – which are often not obvious beforehand and normally due for payment when you check out of your accommodation," warned Tiffany Mealiff, a travel insurance analyst at quotezone.co.uk.
Some destinations have added a charge in an effort to rein in so-called overtourism, with authorities in Venice last year announcing a €5 fee for people to enter the city during the peak tourism season.
Canary Islanders last week started protesting against mass tourism, which they say has "overwhelmed" the archipelago. Last year, residents of Hallstatt, an Austrian village popular for its scenic location, protested against being swamped by day-trippers, who they said arrive in the town to take a few photographs, before moving on without spending anything.
Other destinations aiming to thin out the throngs of visitors they typically receive include Amsterdam, Iceland and Athens, the latter last year announcing a cap on Acropolis visitors of 20,000 a day.