As headlines mount over surging vacationer crowds throughout Europe and locals pushing again, demanding reduction, one other European nation has determined it’ll implement on tax on vacationers in an effort to offset overtourism.
Lawmakers in Norway not too long ago authorised a brand new vacationer tax, giving native governments the facility to cost a 3% levy on in a single day stays and cruise ship guests beginning in the summertime of 2026.
The tax will apply to vacationers staying in resorts, hostels, campsites, and short-term leases, in addition to passengers arriving by cruise ship.
The transfer comes after the nation welcomed almost 6 million cruise ship passengers in 2024 and international in a single day visitor visits hit a brand new excessive at 12.4 million – a 12 p.c improve over the earlier 12 months.
“It’s not the case that we’ve got 12 months‑spherical tourism all through the nation, however in some locations, there are components of the 12 months which might be significantly demanding, and the bills that the residents need to pay for are significantly excessive,” Norway’s Commerce and Business Minister Cecilie Myrseth advised NRK, the nation’s state-owned broadcaster in April 2025.
It is very important be aware the brand new tax is voluntary for municipalities to undertake, and Myrseth stated she didn’t count on will probably be utilized by all municipalities, simply these in high-pressure areas.
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She additionally says this offers municipalities seasonal flexibility to handle peak customer visitors and put money into providers wanted to accommodate the growing circulation, reminiscent of mountaineering trails, parking services, and bogs.
In reality, the tax collected could solely be used on tourism-related enhancements with a purpose of easing pressure between locals and guests in high-traffic areas, such because the Lofoten Islands and Geirangerfjord.
Norway Tackles Overtourism
The inclusion of cruise guests to Norway’s new tourism tax marks a change from earlier variations of the proposal that excluded day-trippers.
Nonetheless, it follows mounting criticism from native leaders and environmental advocates who say cruise ships contribute considerably to overcrowding and infrastructure stress.
Norway’s busiest cruise ports embody Ålesund, which welcomed over 650,000 passengers in 2024, and Bergen, which noticed almost 600,000. Bergen presently enforces a every day restrict of 4 ships and eight,000 passengers to handle the circulation of tourists.
A 3% tax on cruise passengers may generate hundreds of thousands of euros in income for native governments.
Norway’s new regulation follows comparable strikes throughout Europe. In Venice, a €5 day-tripper entry charge took impact in April 2024 for guests throughout peak days, doubling to €10 if not booked prematurely.
Within the Balearic Islands of Spain, together with Mallorca, the federal government initiated an “eco-tax” that ranged from €1 to €4 per night time relying on the season and kind of lodging, with cruise company included at €2. That tax was elevated in 2025 to €6 per day for cruise company on its widespread islands.
However, that’s nonetheless lower than company pay in Barcelona, the place cruise passengers are charged almost €8 per go to.
In the meantime, Amsterdam launched a 12.5% lodge tax on room charges in 2024 and raised its cruise port charge to €14 for every passenger’s stopover within the metropolis’s port.
The most important price for cruise passenger visits might be present in Iceland, which additionally upped its cruise passenger charge in January 2025 to about 2,500 ISK, which is simply over $18 US {dollars} per individual immediately.
As Norway grapples with its rising reputation, spurred by cruisers searching for extra off-the-beaten-path locations, it’s also main the cost to implement net-zero guidelines for cruise ships by 2032.
Its latest laws will go into impact in January 2026 concentrating on vessels below 10,000 gross tons.
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