The Tallinn city administration wants to introduce a tourist tax, the revenues of which would be allocated for an improved tourism infrastructure.
Margot Roose, the deputy mayor of Tallinn, was the initiator of this proposal, which derived from Economic Ministry projections that tourist arrivals in the next decade would increase by 50 per cent, totalling 9.3 million nights spent every year, Schengen.News reports.
This would help cover additional costs and improve infrastructure for receiving tourists.
Tallinn Administration Wants to Charge Up to €3 Tourist Tax
As the deputy mayor Roose noted, this small tax does not risk pushing tourists away, saying, “tourists will not give up their trip for this reason”, but at the same time, it generates revenue that can help local businesses and public spaces.
Roose said that if cruise tourists reach up to 600,000 every year, the existing infrastructure could struggle to accommodate them. Currently, the city can handle a total of 10,000 cruise tourists per day.
Public toilets, service institutions, transport, roads – in the sense that if cruise tourists all arrive in a crowd and there is already congestion when leaving the port.
In October, Estonia witnessed a boost in foreign tourists, with 275,000 tourists visiting the Baltic country. According to Statistics Estonia, this figure is up by nine per cent compared to 2023 levels. Most tourists to Estonia in October came from Finland, Latvia, Germany and Lithuania.
You Have to Pay a Tourist Tax to These European Countries
Spain and Portugal have imposed several taxes on tourists, with incentives being higher for those visiting during the high season (March to October). However, Greece is expected to charge some of the most expensive tourist taxes in 2025with daily tourist taxes going from €2 to €8.
In efforts to improve its services and offer a better tourism infrastructure, Norwegian cities can soon impose tourist taxes.
It must be sobering for the individual tourist, while at the same time, we want to strengthen the municipalities’ ability to welcome visitors. Even if the contribution for the individual is not that large, the total sum can be significant for the municipalities.
In addition to the mentioned regions and cities, Venice, Faro, Dublin and Prague all have plans to raise their tourist taxes or introduce them for the first time as the local governments attempt to create a co-existing space for both residents and tourists.