Whether you're paying it or collecting it

Holidaymakers

Most tourist taxes aren't included in the price you see when booking. They're usually added when you check out, or shown as a separate line on your confirmation. Search for your destination on the home page, enter your dates and party, and you'll get the figure to budget for.

New taxes are arriving quickly in the UK. If you're booking now for next year, check what's starting soon, because the rule that applies is usually the one in force on the night you stay.

Families

Children don't pay in many places, but the age limit varies a lot:

In Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Greece, Liverpool, Manchester, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, the charge is based on the room or the price, so children don't change the total.

In Cardiff, the charge is per person and we haven't found an age exemption, so count children as paying guests.

Business travellers

The levy usually appears as its own line on your hotel invoice, so you can claim it alongside the room. Some places charge per room rather than per person, which matters when colleagues share:

• Greece: €0.50 to €15 per room per night, depending on the accommodation and season
• Liverpool: £2 per room per night at hotels in the accommodation BID area
• Manchester: £1 per room per night (plus VAT) at larger city-centre hotels

On long assignments, check the night limit. Several places stop charging after a set number of nights:

• Edinburgh: first 5 nights only
• Barcelona: first 7 nights only
• Catalonia (outside Barcelona): first 7 nights only
• Lisbon: first 7 nights only
• Porto: first 7 nights only
• Stirling: first 7 nights only
• Rome: first 10 nights only

Airbnb and short-let hosts

The levy is charged by the accommodation provider, so as the host it's usually your job to collect it, unless your booking platform confirms it does this for you. These UK schemes apply to short lets:

• AberdeenStarts 1 April 20277% of the accommodation price from April 2027, the highest rate in Scotland
• CardiffStarts 1 April 2027£1.30 per person per night (75p in hostels and campsites) from 1 April 2027
• EdinburghIn force since 24 July 20265% of the accommodation price, on the first 5 nights of a stay
• GlasgowStarts 25 January 20275% of the accommodation price from 25 January 2027, with no limit on nights
• StirlingStarts June 20273% of the accommodation price on the first 7 nights, from June 2027
• West DunbartonshireStarts 1 July 20275% of the accommodation price for stays from 1 July 2027

In Scotland, the levy is charged on the accommodation price before VAT. Each destination page has a calculator you can use to check what to add to a booking.

Hotels, B&Bs and guest houses

Guests will ask what the levy is and why it's on their bill. The quickest answer is the destination page for your area: it sets out the rate, who's exempt and the night limit in plain English, so you can link to it from your booking confirmation.

Watch the basis of the charge. Percentage levies, such as Scotland's, rise with the room rate and are worked out before VAT. Flat charges, such as Cardiff's or Manchester's, stay the same whatever the guest pays.

Hostels and campsites

Shared and budget accommodation often pays a lower rate:

In Greece, youth hostels and campsites are exempt from the climate resilience fee altogether.