Bucharest to Introduce €2 Per-Night Visitor Tax from 2026.
A new tourist tax that will go into effect next year has been authorised by Bucharest authorities. It is anticipated that the tax would bring in up to €3 million a year to help promote tourism in the Romanian city. Beginning in 2026, tourists staying in Bucharest’s paid lodgings will have to pay a fixed tourist fee of 10 Romanian Leu (about €2) per night under the new rule. The fee will be the same regardless of the type of lodging or room rate, in contrast to comparable levies in other European towns.
Travel agents, digital booking platforms, and lodging providers will all be used to collect the charge. The local media reports that noncompliance can lead to fines of up to 4,000 Leu (€785) for enterprises and 1,5000 Leu (€294) for individuals. According to officials, the project is expected to generate about 15 million Romanian Leu (€2.9 million) annually, which will be used to promote Bucharest as a travel destination. However, specifics about how the cash will be allocated and used have not yet been provided. Some in the hotel sector have criticised the decision, which was made by the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest soon after a draft proposal was released. The speed of the approval procedure and the ambiguity around a structured tourism development or promotion plan have drawn criticism from industry stakeholders. According to Deputy Mayor Stelian Bujduveanu, the tax will boost marketing initiatives and events pertaining to tourism, adding value to the city.
The charge, however, may have a negative impact on Bucharest’s expanding tourism momentum, which has lately profited from more worldwide recognition and new tourist attractions, the Federation of the Romanian Hotel Industry (FIHR) has warned. FIHR also pointed out that cooperation between public and commercial sectors is necessary for effective tourist growth, cautioning that hasty and opaque planning could make the city less competitive. Penalties for breaking the new rule could be as high as 1,500 Romanian Leu for individuals and 4,000 Romanian Leu for enterprises.
