What do you need to know about tourist tax in a country?

Travelling to another country requires financial means, but also conditions. Protocols have been established by many countries to ensure not only the safety of foreigners, but also to preserve the tourist value of their territories. This is how tourist taxes came into being. Fees that certain types of foreigners are required to pay. In this article, you will find some of the information you need to know about this tax.

How does the tourist tax work?

The tourist tax is a tax imposed by a State or a municipality with a tourist vocation, on foreigners in order to collect the necessary funds for the development of local tourism. This is the case of the State of Mexico, which has created the Tourist Tax Mexico for foreigners on its territory. If you are on holiday or on a business trip, you will certainly not escape this tax.

In addition to the price of your accommodation in a hotel or holiday village, the tourist tax also applies. However, not all visitors are eligible to pay it. There are of course conditions to be met. Minors, seasonal workers or people in temporary accommodation are exempt in some countries.

The tax must be paid on arrival to the hotel institute, which in turn will pay the amount to the municipality. You will then be given a receipt as proof of payment.

What are the rates for a tourist tax?

Tourist tax rates vary from country to country. It depends not only on the needs of the municipality, but also on the tourist value it possesses. They are therefore set taking into account the type of accommodation (hotel stay, bed and breakfast, or camping), as well as its classification. 

These rates are very often displayed at the level of the different hotels and can take different forms. Either the customer pays the tax and the accommodation separately, or the tax will be included directly in the price of the accommodation. For this, the hotelier must notify the guest in advance. In some countries, such as France, the tax can vary between 0.20 euro and 4.20 euro, depending on the conditions mentioned above.