Greece to charge all holidaymakers new tax – with bill running into hundreds depending on where you stay
HOLIDAYMAKERS heading to Greece will be forced to pay a new tourist tax under plans outlined by the country's government.
The country is introducing a new levy for overnight visitors in a bid to combat the damage caused by extreme weather conditions.
Holidaymakers traveling to Greece during the high season (from March to October) will face an additional tax on overnight stays.
Just like the previous tax, the rate will vary depending on the type of accommodation tourists have booked, and it will range from €1 (£0.86) to €4 (£3.45) per night.
The new tax will be added to the country's existing accommodation tax, with charges rising as a result.
For example, holidaymakers who've booked to stay at an apartment or one and two-star hotels will need to pay €1.50 (£1.29) per night.
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Those staying at three-star hotels will be asked to pay €3 (£2.58) per night, while four-star hotel stays will cost an additional €7 (£6).
The new tax on five-star hotels is set to be €10 (£8.61) per night, which could add a hefty charge onto the price of a Greek holiday.
For example, €140 (£120) could be added to the cost of a holiday for those holidaymakers staying at a five-star hotel in Greece for two weeks.
The new levy will not be included within the cost of booking a holiday, instead tourists must pay their accommodation providers in the local currency.
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Dubbed the new climate resilience levy by local media outlets, the new charge is intended to combat the damage caused by extreme weather conditions, like the wildfires and floods that swept through the country last year.
Last summer, large parts of Greece were devastated by huge wildfires that swept through holiday hotspots in Rhodes and Corfu.
The new tax is expected to generate €300 million in 2024, and it will form part of a special reserves budget to help rebuild parts of the country's infrastructure that has been damaged as a result of climate change.
According to , the new charge will be introduced later this month.
It will not apply to those tourists who are holidaying in Greece in the country's off-season from November to February.
During those months, the climate resilience levy will revert back to the country's previous overnight tax, which was introduced by the Greek Ministry of Tourism to help cut the country's debt.
But Greece isn't the only holiday hotspot that could be introducing a tourist tax on future visitors.
Later this year, Venice will trial a fee, which will see day-trippers paying €5 (£4.35) to visit the historical Italian centre.
The new measures have been introduced due to the overtourism the area suffers from.
Meanwhile, officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to introduce a fee for travellers to remind people to be courteous during their trips.
And it isn't just holiday hotspots in Europe that have been discussing potential charges, destinations across the UK are also set to introduce new fees too.
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Manchester tourists spending the night in the city will have to pay £1 a night, per room, as part of the new scheme.
And, St Ives in Cornwall is considering a tourist tax too.
