The update was unveiled by Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth on Thursday. The government has now proposed that local authorities will be able to charge tourists up to 3 percent of the cost of an overnight stay.
If a hotel stays costs 3,000 kroner, visitors will be required to pay a 90 kroner tourism tax. The charge will apply to all overnight accommodations, including campsites and Airbnb stays.
Under the proposed bill, the money will be used by local authorities for spending that benefits both locals and tourists, such as maintaining hiking trails.
Furthermore, authorities would be able to seasonally adjust the tourism tax.
“It is not the case that we have year-round tourism throughout the country, but in some places, there are parts of the year that are particularly demanding, and the expenses that the residents have to pay for are particularly high,” Myserth told public broadcaster NRK.
If the bill were to be adopted after a vote in parliament, Norway would join more than 20 other European countries that have a tourist tax.
However, the government might have trouble getting the bill through parliament as the Conservative Party, Progress Party, Centre Party and Liberal Party all appear opposed to the tourist tax.
The travel and tourism branch of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) has warned it could make Norway a less attractive destination for tourists.
“We are now in a very serious situation. Introducing the tourist tax now is, in any case, madness,” managing director Kristin Krohn Devold from the travel branch of the NHO told NRK earlier this week.
If the plans do go ahead, however, the government would then turn its focus on ensuring that cruise passengers also pay a tourist tax.
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