UK travelers fight back: ‘more than a quarter’ are reconsidering holiday plans to avoid tourist tax | World | News

With the official festive season approaching, many Britons are preparing for trips to Christmas markets and winter holidays.

However, new research from Confused.com shows that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of British holidaymakers are reconsidering their travel plans due to rising tourist tax charges – a cost that is catching many by surprise.

According to the survey, almost one in four (73 percent) travelers do not know when they need to pay tourism taxes, and almost one in five undercharge by an average of 37 percent. 18 percent were left without funds when they forgot about the additional payment.

Even more worryingly, more than a fifth (22 per cent) have had to use a credit card or even borrow money to pay tourist tax, according to research by One Poll of 2,000 UK leisure travellers.

The analysis, completed between Oct. 15 and Oct. 21, also found that tourism tax surprises impacted holiday spending, people’s mood and the length of their stay.

A tourist tax is a fee added to the cost of a traveler’s stay. This could be a daily rate or a percentage of your total room rate.

For those heading to one of Europe’s best Christmas markets, Berlin charges 5 percent of the total stay, while Vienna charges 3.2 percent. In Paris, the tax ranges from €2.60 (£2.16) to €10.73 (£8.91) depending on accommodation level.

In Belgium, tourist taxes are a daily rate of €3.75 (£3.12) per person per night in Bruges, rising to five euros (£4.15) for hotels and four euros (£4.15) in Brussels £32) for other types of accommodation.

In New York City, famous for its Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the tourist tax increases to 14.75 percent of the room rate plus an additional $3.50 (£2.75).

However, not every city has a tourist tax. Other holiday destinations such as Krakow, Stockholm and Denmark do not currently charge additional taxes to tourists. If you’re heading to a destination that doesn’t have a tourist tax, be sure to check online before you go, as the country may have only recently introduced one.

These additional costs affect more than just passengers. Almost a third (29 percent) of UK travelers said these taxes started their journey off on the wrong foot, especially from Northern Ireland (43 percent) and Wales (37 percent).

As a result, more than half (53 per cent) of people traveling from Wales, 47 per cent from the South West and 45 per cent from the East Midlands had less money to spend on entertainment. Meanwhile, people in Yorkshire and the Humber (37 per cent) were most likely to use credit cards or borrow money to cover these expenses.

Alvaro Inturmendi, travel insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “Christmas markets are a popular holiday destination for holidaymakers to enjoy the festive season and explore new cities. But what many don’t know is that they may have to pay additional taxes when you get there. There is no fixed cost for this and it depends on the country and city. Planning ahead will help you avoid spending money on expenses before your trip begins.

“Many hotels also require payment of tax in cash. Before you go, figure out exactly how much you need to pay so you have the money you need.”