Everything you need to know about Bucharest's controversial new tourist tax

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Another European city to launch tourist tax Visitors will pay around £1.70 a night by 2026 – although some local leaders are unhappy with the change.

Romaniacapital, BucharestThe aim is to raise around £2.5m a year through the new visitor tax, which will help the city promote its status as a destination.

Bucharest’s latest visitor numbers for 2024 put nearly 2 million visitors, with people coming to this Eastern European city to admire its vibrant architecture, thermal spas and Christmas markets.

Visitors will be charged 10 Romanian lei (£1.70) per night for accommodation in Bucharest.

The General Council of the City of Bucharest approved the tax on Tuesday, December 23, but has not revealed the specific launch date of the tax.

The aim of the tax will be to increase the number of visitors to Bucharest, extend their stay, increase tourism revenue and improve the tourist experience through increased investments, the council said in a release.

Like most other tourist taxes in other European cities, the tax will be levied by tourist accommodation providers as well as online booking platforms, e.g. Booking.com and Airbnb.

Tourist accommodation subject to tax in Bucharest includes hotels, hostels, villas, campsites, guesthouses and rental rooms in family homes.

While taxes in other cities have been proven to boost tourism, not everyone is happy with Bucharest’s proposal.

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The Romanian Hotel Industry Federation (FIHR) said the legislation was passed “without consulting the private sector and without presenting a transparent plan for the use of the funds raised,” according to Romanian news media. news network.

“The tourism industry needs collaboration, not ad hoc management,” FIHR added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Stelian Bujduveanu said the tax would bring “added value” to the city through promotions and events that would benefit Bucharest, european news Report.

Many European cities, such as Amsterdam, Venice and Barcelona, have introduced tourist taxes to help promote and improve tourism to their destinations and ease the pressure on the large number of tourists traveling to the area.

Recently, the British government announced that it would empower local authorities levy a tourist tax in their area, making it possible for London to impose a tourist tax in the future.

Ahead of the introduction of any tourist tax in England, Edinburgh will become the first UK city to charge visitors an overnight stay under official law in early 2026.

independent The Bucharest City General Council has been contacted for comment.