The European destinations where UK holidaymakers won't be charged tourist tax

With summer edging ever closer, many will be planning their sunny getaways heading on city breaks of beach destinations.

But with many hotspots either introducing or considering implementing a tourist tax, holidaymakers should know about the European areas that won't charge extra for visiting and experts have uncovered these popular spots.

The concept of a tourist tax is not new, but it has been a recent topic of conversation. As of last week, tourists who visit Venice in Italy will be required to pay a five euro fee (£4.31), while officials in the Italian beauty spot of Lake Como recently announced plans to consider a similar plan to the City of Water.

Tourist tax has become increasingly prevalent in popular destinations across the world, particularly in the wake of the Covid pandemic as tourists began to flock to tourist hotspots once more. But even some of the most popular destinations, including Tenerife and Madrid in Spain, don't actually enforce one.

For travellers keen to avoid these taxes, the experts at eurochange have revealed some of the exceptions across Europe, where there is no tourist tax.

Laura Evans-Fisk, head of digital engagement at eurochange, explained: “A tourist tax is a fee that is targeted at tourists, with the aim of combating over-tourism.

“They are usually paid on top of accommodation fees and are usually aimed at travellers staying for more than one night, but less than a large chunk of time, in which case they might need to apply for a visa to stay.”

European holiday destinations that don't enforce a tourist tax

Madrid, Spain

Unlike other major cities in Spain such as Barcelona, which recently increased its tourist tax to €3.25 (£2.78) a day, Madrid is yet to introduce a tourist tax.

Surprising, especially as Madrid is the capital city of Spain. However, it still receives significantly fewer tourists than its Catalaunian counterpart, with 4.65 million tourists visiting Madrid each year1, still far less than Barcelona, which receives around 27 million tourists per year.

Tenerife, Spain

Unlike the popular Balearic islands (Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera), Tenerife is exempt from the tourist tax.

If you’re keen to experience that Spanish beach vibe on your holiday this year, but need to save the pennies, then Tenerife can be a great option.

However it should be noted that a new "eco tax" is set to be introduced in Tenerife in January next year. The tax will be introduced to make the island a "more sustainable and environmentally responsible space".

It’s not certain how much the tax will be yet, but it has been confirmed that it will only apply to tourists only when visiting certain attritions and beauty spots.

Finland, Denmark, and Sweden

Although they’re on the pricier end of the scale, destinations in Finland, Denmark and Sweden don’t apply a tourist tax.

In fact, residents outside of the EU (including the UK) can actually get a refund on any tax that they spent on their visit to cities including Helsinki, Copenhagen and Stockholm.

Just take any receipts to a tax refund kiosk at the airport you are travelling home from and complete a tax-free form, and you will receive the tax back on any items you purchased during your trip.

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