Oslo (AFP) – Norwegian lawmakers approved Thursday the introduction of a tourist tax to help finance infrastructure improvements as a boom in visitors has led to worries about overtourism.
The law introduces a three percent tax on lodgings, and may also be applied to cruise ships making stops, in areas particularly affected by tourism.
The country registered last year a record 38.4 million night stays, including more than 12 million by foreigners, according to official data, as the country’s picturesque fjords attract more and more visitors.
However, public toilets and parking have been overwhelmed in some locations, causing tensions with local residents.
The funds raised by the tax will go exclusively to improve tourism infrastructure.
Infrastructure can’t bear it, only so many people can fit in one place. Also, a lot of these people, especially on cruise ships, spend exactly zero money at the place they visit, as they have lodgings and food on the ship, and are only there to sightsee.
IDK about taxing lodgings, but maybe there are too many hotels for the place? I’d guess AirBnB made it impossible to regulate the market by controlling the amount of permits issued.
I think a small flat fee is usually better at solving this, as you would need to get rid of the people who visit but don’t pay, but that might be hard to implement if you can’t close the place off like you can in Venice for example.
I’d tax cruise ships based on the number of people coming off the ship. Those tourists usually contribute the least to the economy in comparison to visiting sites.