Legislators in Norway have approved a new tourist tax expected to come into force in 2026, following record-breaking numbers of visitors in 2024 and concerns that tourism there is becoming a year-round phenomenon in a country with a total population half the size of Paris.
Originally a 5% levy on accommodation and lodging was proposed but parliamentarians moderated the tax down to a 3% fee, which local authorities can choose to implement, or not. It is yet to be decided whether the tax will also be applied to cruise ships, a category neglected in the current plan. Cruises are popular among tourists to Norway for their access to remote fjords and coastlines, as well as Northern Light viewings, but small, isolated communities such as those on the Lofoten archipelago, can easily be outnumbered many times by cruise passengers.
Official figures show the Nordic kingdom welcomed a record 38.4 million overnight stays in 2024 – nearly a third of which were made by foreign guests. The rising numbers have been partly attributed to the rise of so-called “coolcations”, chosen by holidaymakers seeking to avoid soaring temperatures, wildfires, and even anti-tourism protests in more traditional southern European destinations.
Norway has become so favoured that fears have been raised that infrastructure in some parts of the country could be overwhelmed, with access to public lavatories and car parks at the forefront of concerns.
The funds generated by the new tax are to be ring-fenced for improving and maintaining infrastructure. Speaking to national broadcaster NRK, Cecilie Myrseth, Norway’s minister of trade and industry, tried to allay public reservations about the growth of the tourism sector.
“It is not the case that we have year-round tourism throughout the country,” she said, “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.”
Writing about the developments on social media, she hailed the new cross-party measures as an “historical agreement” that would be under local authority control, likely applying “to areas that have a particularly large pressure of tourists.”
She reminded followers that “The tourism industry is also the future of Norway,” and praised it as “An industry that creates housing, happiness, good experiences, value creation and important jobs all over the country,” insisting “If the industry wants to grow, we depend on trust locally. We ensure that with this agreement.”
