Many countries have been struggling with the effects of overtourism, from rising house prices to the impact on the environment. To mitigate this, governments across the world have been bringing in tourist taxes, with the money raised going towards programmes that could help locals.

Tourist taxes are nothing new, one of the first was introduced in Catalonia in Spain back in 2012, but it’s becoming an increasigly common addition to accommodation bills, even outside of popular tourist resorts. In some cases, these fees are also on the rise, going from a nominal fee of a few Euros, to a percentage of your accommodation cost. In 2026, some new destinations in the UK and overseas will be bringing in tourist taxes, so here are some to look out for.

Bucharest

Despite objections from the hotel industry, the Romanian government recently approved plans to charge a tourist tax to Bucharest’s visitors. The country’s capital has become an increasingly popular city break of late, sometimes dubbed ‘Little Paris’ due to its architectural similarities with the French city. The new tourist tax will be 10 Romanian Leu a night, around £1.70, and officials say it will be used in part to promote Bucharest as a tourist destination.

The extra fee will be collected by your accommodation provider or online booking platform, such as Airbnb, for all bookings in 2026 and beyond.

English towns and cities

Mayors across England are set to get new powers to impose tourist taxes in their town or city, bringing England in line with other parts of the UK. Local leaders will be able to introduce small fees for accommodation from hotels to holiday lets, and will be able to make exemptions as necessary for their area.

The North East is already eyeing a tourist tax of £2 per night, which mayor Kim McGuinness claims will raise £20m in revenue for the region. Speaking to the BBC, she said: “I cannot stress enough that every single penny of it will be spent on boosting the tourist economy and culture in our region, bring in those major events that have made a difference to everyone right across our region from rural areas to our towns and cities”.

A tourist tax is also expected to be implemented in London in the near future, although there’s no confirmation whether this would be a flat fee or a percentage of the accommodation cost. The Greater London Authority (GLA) released an estimate in 2017 showing that a £1 a day tourist tax could raise £91m a year, or if it was set at 5%, it could potentially raise £240m for the capital. 

Edinburgh

Book accommodation in Edinburgh after July 24, 2026, and you’ll face a visitor levy of 5% of the cost of your bill. This applies to hotels, B&Bs, hostels, and holiday lets, among other accommodation types, and the 5% will show up on your bill at check-in or check-out. The fee is only based on the cost of the accommodation itself, and not extras such as dining or parking.

The Edinburgh Visitor Levy is only charged for the first five nights of your stay, and Edinburgh Council claim the scheme will raise £45-50 million a year by 2028/29, with the funds raised used for housing, infrastructure, and culture, among other things.

Thailand

Thailand has been planning to implement a tourist tax for several years, and it’s finally set to come into force mid-2026. The fee will be 300 Baht, just over £7 for passengers arriving by air, but if you arrive by sea then it’s 150 Baht.

Los Angeles

The City of Angels has the dubious honour of being the destination with the highest tourist tax in the world. Los Angeles recently hiked its tourist tax to a hefty 15.5% on the cost of accommodation for those arriving in 2026. Stay in a hotel that’s $280 a night (around £208), and this would add $32 a night to your bill, or $225 extra for the week (approximately £167). 

The cost narrowly beats New York City’s pricey double tourist tax of $3.50 per person nightly fee (about £2.61), which is paid alongside a 14.75% tax on total bookings. 

Norway

Like England, Norway will give local governments the power to decide whether to implement a 3% tourist tax on overnight stays, including hotels, holiday accommodation, and cruises. Throughout 2026, each municipality will have to decide whether to opt into the scheme, and will need to apply and show the impact of tourism in their area. 

So far, the areas of Lofoten and Tromsø have opted in, so visitors going to see the Northern Lights in 2026 may find themselves needing to pay the levy.

Kyoto

The pretty traditional Japanese city of Kyoto will raise its tourist taxes, effective March 1, 2026, in a bid to balance visitor numbers and raise funds to preserve its unique heritage.

The new taxes on overnight stays will be tiered according to the nightly accommodation costs, with higher taxes on luxury hotels. For rooms under 6,000 yen a night (about £28), the tax will remain at 200 yen (around £0.95), but for rooms up to 20,000 yen a night (just under £95), the tax will double to 400 yen.

However, those splashing out on rooms from 50,000 to 100,000 yen (around £237 to £474)  will see taxes hiked from 1,000 to 4,000 yen (about £4.75 to £19). And in the most luxurious accommodation costing over 100,000 yen, the tax is increasing tenfold to a hefty 10,000 yen per night (approximately £48). 

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