Tourist tax is a necessity for many countries and is a charge added on top of travellers accommodation costs which can either be a day rate or a percentage of the total cost of your room.
While it may be a necessity for many, it’s often a thorn in the side of many holidaymakers with many even resorting to changing their destination last minute.
According to Confused.com new research, around 73% of travellers are completely unaware of tourist taxes with 22% having to use their credit card to pay or worse, have to borrow money.
This research was carried out by One Poll on behalf of Confused.com with more than 2,000 UK adults answering the research questions and was conducted between October 15 and October 21, 2024.
The tourist tax data was collected from individual city websites and showed that nearly one in five travellers have greatly underestimated tourist tax charges with 18% being out of pocket completely due to these unforeseen charges.
Travel insurance expert at Confused.com, Alvaro Inturmendi, discusses why it’s so integral to take in these extra costs when on holiday to certain regions including the importance of budgeting ahead.
According to the research, more than 1 in 10 (11%) holidaymakers have adjusted their travel dates or duration due to tourist tax charges with a further 9% actually changing their destination completely due to these costs with almost 1 in 10 (7%) choosing to change accommodation due to taxes.
Other interesting insights from the research revealed that almost 1 in 5 (19%) travellers have underestimated how much they could be paying for tourist tax by around 37%, on average.
Interestingly most travellers were found to research prior to going on holiday but around one in four (26%) were left completely unaware about these taxes until they reached their accommodation which is not much of a surprise considering tourist tax is not standardised globally and can greatly vary from one city to the next.
With Christmas just around the corner many will be looking to visit some of the best markets in the world with the research finding that almost 2 in 5 (39%) holidaymakers are planning to visit a festive market this year.
Confused.com has highlighted how much travellers can expect to pay in taxes this festive season.
Mr Inturmendi adds: “Christmas markets are a popular holiday for holidaymakers to enjoy the festive season and explore new cities.
“But what many aren’t aware of is the additional taxes they may have to pay when you get there. There’s no fixed cost for this, and it varies by country and city. Planning ahead will make sure you’re not having to dip into your spending money before the trip begins.”
He further explained how many hotels actually request these tourist taxes to be paid in cash hence the reason it’s so important to be aware of what they are before embarking and having the right amount of cash.
“We’ve collated how much tourist tax you could be paying for some of the most popular Christmas market destinations this year.
“That way, you can plan ahead, budget right and enjoy yourself without starting off with unexpected bills.”
