Photo source: Viorel Dudau | Dreamstime.com
Norwegian parliamentarians on Thursday approved the introduction of a tourist tax, which will contribute to the financing of infrastructure improvement projects, against the background of concerns about the increased increase in the number of visitors, AFP reports.
The law provides for the possibility of local authorities to impose a 3% fee for a night's accommodation, which can be applied even to cruise ships that stop.
The tourist units in Norway registered a record number of 38.4 million nights in 2024, of which over 12 million for foreigners, according to official data, given that the picturesque fjords of the country attract more and more visitors.
However, public toilets and parking were overcrowded in some areas, which caused tensions with the locals.
The funds collected using the tax will be used exclusively to improve the tourist infrastructure.
“We do not have tourism throughout the year throughout the country, but in some places there are periods of the year that are particularly demanding, and the expenses that the inhabitants have to pay are very high,” said the Norwegian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Cecilie Myserth for the Norwews Norwew's public station.
At that time, the tourism philosophy of the Confederation of Norwegian enterprises (NHO) warned that such a tax could discourage tourists.
“We are now in a very serious situation. The introduction of the tourist tax is now, in any case, a madness,” said a NHO spokesman for NRK.
Photo source: Viorel Dudau | Dreamstime.com
