Tourist taxes are nothing new – countries like Spain, France and Italy have had local taxes in place for years. Their purpose is to mitigate the growing problem of overtourism, and plenty of countries across Europe have introduced extra tourist fees in recent years. You can see a full list of countries charging a tourist tax here.
Next on the list? Norway, a destination popular for cruises, fjords and ‘coolcations’. A new tax has just received parliamentary approval, allowing individual municipalities to charge a three percent tax on overnight stays. This reflects the varied tourism challenges across the country.
If a municipality implements the tax, anyone staying there in a hotel, campsite or short-term holiday rental would be required to pay it – and it looks like the charge could be in place as soon as this summer.
This proposal comes after Norway had a record-breaking 2024 in terms of overnight stays – according to Forbes, there were 38 million.
The idea is to give local authorities the tools to fund infrastructure and services put under strain by ever-growing numbers of tourists. Any region that opts to charge the levy would be required to work with the tourism industry and decide how the money will be spent. Any money raised must be allocated to tourism-related ‘common goods’ such as signage, trail maintenance and public loos.
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Norway’s trade and industry minister Cecilie Myrseth has described the move as a ‘historic agreement ... in line with what they have in the rest of Europe’, according to euronews.
The rate was initially going to be five percent and was lowered to three percent after lots of tourism stakeholders said it was too high. For some context, the three percent levy on an $140-per night hotel room would result in an additional $4.10.
As the initial proposal only covered overnight stays in hotels, it was criticised for letting day-trippers, cruise passengers and people in camper vans ‘off the hook’ – but now a tax could also be applied on cruise ships that stop in areas most affected by overtourism.
Keep an eye on this page for updates, and have a look at our brilliant guides on all the best things to do in Oslo and across Norway.
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