As headlines mount over surging vacationer crowds throughout Europe and locals pushing again, demanding aid, one other European nation has determined it’s going to implement on tax on vacationers in an effort to offset overtourism.
Lawmakers in Norway not too long ago accepted a brand new vacationer tax, giving native governments the ability 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 practically 6 million cruise ship passengers in 2024 and overseas in a single day visitor visits hit a brand new excessive at 12.4 million – a 12 % enhance over the earlier 12 months.
“It’s not the case that now we have 12 months‑spherical tourism all through the nation, however in some locations, there are components of the 12 months which can be notably demanding, and the bills that the residents should pay for are notably excessive,” Norway’s Commerce and Business Minister Cecilie Myrseth advised NRK, the nation’s state-owned broadcaster in April 2025.
It is very important word the brand new tax is voluntary for municipalities to undertake, and Myrseth mentioned she didn’t count on it will likely 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 movement, similar to climbing trails, parking services, and bathrooms.
In truth, the tax collected might solely be used on tourism-related enhancements with a purpose of easing rigidity 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.
Nevertheless, 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 embrace Ålesund, which welcomed over 650,000 passengers in 2024, and Bergen, which noticed practically 600,000. Bergen at the moment enforces a every day restrict of 4 ships and eight,000 passengers to handle the movement of tourists.
A 3% tax on cruise passengers may generate thousands and thousands of euros in income for native governments.
Norway’s new regulation follows related strikes throughout Europe. In Venice, a €5 day-tripper entry price took impact in April 2024 for guests throughout peak days, doubling to €10 if not booked upfront.
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 visitors included at €2. That tax was elevated in 2025 to €6 per day for cruise visitors on its in style islands.
However, that’s nonetheless lower than visitors pay in Barcelona, the place cruise passengers are charged practically €8 per go to.
In the meantime, Amsterdam launched a 12.5% resort tax on room charges in 2024 and raised its cruise port price to €14 for every passenger’s stopover within the metropolis’s port.
The largest value for cruise passenger visits could be present in Iceland, which additionally upped its cruise passenger price in January 2025 to about 2,500 ISK, which is simply over $18 US {dollars} per particular person at the moment.
As Norway grapples with its rising recognition, spurred by cruisers in search of extra off-the-beaten-path locations, it is usually 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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