More competitive flight pricing, more available accommodation, and a general fashion in post-lockdown times: getting away from it all has never looked more attractive.
The impact, not least in cities, has been noted, and in 2025, inevitable restrictions have been brought into place at many of our favourite holiday hotspots. Someone had to put a cap on how many people will fit in any one space, and this year they have. You would be well advised to factor in tourist taxes and restrictions before going ahead with your bookings this year.
Tourist taxes:
In Barcelona, there is a tourist tax for five-star hotel guests, which has increased to €6.75 per night, totalling €47.25 per week. Seville plans to charge holidaymakers for Plaza de España entry to combat overtourism, but details are so far sketchy. Venice has introduced a €5 day-trip tax to dissuade short-term tourists and day-trippers from overloading the city. Considering holidaying in Santorini or Mykonos? The government has announced a €20 levy for cruise ship visitors to Greece’s islands during peak summer.
In Edinburgh, plans are afoot to introduce a 5 percent tourist tax on accommodation from 2026, aiming to raise £50 million annually.
Tourist taxes rising in places suffering overtourism
Outside of Europe, in the Galapagos Islands, tourists to the archipelago must now pay an entry tax of $200 for international visitors and $100 for those from neighbouring countries. Bali has introduced a $10 tourist tax to deter unruly visitors, with travellers required to pay the levy and potentially receive a handbook on acceptable behaviour. In Bhutan, visitors pay the world’s priciest entrance fee of US$100 daily to promote low-impact tourism, but down from $200 in 2023. In Kyoto, there’s a lodging tax for hotels, which will increase to a maximum of ¥10,000 (€63), ten times the current ¥1,000 fee.
Tourism restrictions:
In Barcelona, they have cut cruise docking to seven and removed the 116 bus route to Parc Güell to curb peak-season tourism. Greece has proposed to take similar measures around their islands. While in Amsterdam, there are plans to limit river cruises, ban new hotels, reduce visitors by 271,000 annually, and cap overnight stays at 20 million. Well, it is a small city. In Menorca, homeowners in Binibeca Vell have blocked access to private properties and asked tourists to visit only between 11am and 8pm to reduce noise levels. In Athens, the Greek Acropolis has capped visitors at 20,000 in September 2023 and introduced time slot bookings to reduce footfall, so book long in advance.
Plans afoot to restrict tourists at overcrowded sites
Visitors also face a strict ticketing system to climb Machu Picchu, meaning visitors will have to arrive within designated time slots to prevent overcrowding. And at Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village, they will introduce a curfew in March, limiting tourist access from 5pm to 10am.
As we can see, no one is ‘banning’ any tourists, but naturally, some curbs have been necessary to preserve local beauty spots and stop them from turning into some sort of overcrowded themepark.
