Even on a holiday you won’t be able to escape taxes.
While you may not be happy about having to pay tourist taxes — fees levied on guests by hotels and other accommodation providers — you may feel better knowing that they are used for a good purpose, that is, to finance infrastructure and facilities in the community.
Paying the tourist tax can also entitle you to certain benefits — namely, the right to use some local facilities for free or at a reduced price, such as public transport and visiting cultural sites.
While figures in this article are from 2024, we already know that tourists in Lucerne will pay twice as much tax starting in 2026.
That’s because cantonal authorities are planning to more than double the overnight ‘visitors tax: instead of 50 cents charged per person per night currently, this tax will increase to 1.10 franc from 2026.
With this move, expected to yield 1.3 million francs per year, Lucerne wants to generate additional funds for tourism promotion.
How are these taxes levied?
They are automatically added to the room invoice and have to be paid at the end of the stay.
This tax must be paid by all tourists, regardless of whether they are Swiss or foreign.
Typically, when you book a hotel or other type of accommodation, like airbnb, for instance, the amount of the tax that will be charged is indicated on the booking website. If it is not, ask the operator what this fee is.
Depending on where you go and how long you stay at your destination, these charges can add up and take up quite a bit of your vacation budget.
However, some communities don't charge anything at all.
How much exactly will you have to pay?
The amount will depend on where in Switzerland you are staying.
Each year, Comparis consumer platform publishes tourist taxes in 80 Swiss municipalities.
The list released in July 2024 shows that Saas-Fee (VS) and Montreux (VD) charge the highest tourist taxes in the country — 7 francs per night and per person.
Interestingly, Zurich and Geneva, Switzerland's most expensive cities, charge a relatively low tourist tax: 3.50 and 3.75 francs, respectively.
Conversely, several municipalities in Graubünden and central Switzerland, such as Sils (GR) and Engelberg (OW) do not charge anything at all.
'A patchwork of prices'
“When it comes to tourist taxes, Switzerland remains a patchwork” of different fares, according to Adi Kolecic, Comparis' travel expert.
The amount of the tourist tax does not only depend on the location, but also on the accommodation where you are staying. Often, for instance, the tax is higher in a four-star hotel than in a holiday apartment.
“The differences between tourist taxes are not only striking on a Swiss scale: within the same canton, or even the same municipality, tourists pay different amounts,” Kolecic pointed out.
This link shows the amount of tourist taxes in 80 Swiss municipalities.
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