Watch Out For Hidden Tourist Taxes In These 5 U.S. Hotspots
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Photo Credit: Getty Images

Watch Out For Hidden Tourist Taxes In These 5 U.S. Hotspots

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Kelsey Marie
Kelsey Marie Aug 17, 2022

By now, we’ve become hip to most hidden fees when flying. Most of the time we’re dishing out extra cash for baggage fees, seat selection, in-flight WiFi, and even snack selections. 

A fee that most haven’t considered is tourist taxes. According to a recent study, there are 56 destinations around the world that charge a tourist tax. 

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In the U.S., there are cities that charge this fee regardless of if you’re an American traveling domestically. 

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Here are 5 U.S. cities that charge the highest tourist taxes:

Honolulu, Hawaii

This Hawaiian destination charges the highest tourist tax in the U.S. The transient accommodations tax is 13.24%. The state tax in Hawaii is 10.25% and Honolulu recently added its own tax, which is an additional 3%. 

To put these taxes into perspective, the average hotel rate in Honolulu is $390 per night. If you stayed for a period of two weeks, you would be spending $723.43 in tourist taxes.

San Francisco, California

The transient occupancy tax in San Francisco is 14%. If you paid the average hotel rate of $212 per night for a two-week stay, you’ll be charged an additional $415.52 in tourist taxes. 

However, this tax only applies to tourists who visit for less than 30 days. 

Los Angeles, California

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Coming in third place — Los Angeles. The transient occupancy tax is 12% and is applied to tourists staying less than 30 days. 

The average hotel rate in Los Angeles is $196 per night, which means that you’ll be paying $329.28 in tourist taxes for a two-week stay. 

Orlando, Florida

Orlando charges a 6% tourist tax. The average rate for a hotel stay in Orlando is $193 per night. For a two-week stay, you can expect to pay about $162.12 in tourist taxes.

Miami, Florida

Miami comes in fifth place, but there is still an additional cost to factor in. The city has a 6% tourist tax which is applied to hotel stays. 

The average rate for a hotel room in Miami is about $173 per night. For a two-week stay, you can expect to pay about $145.32 in tourist taxes. 

How do you feel about having to pay tourist taxes? Let us know in the comments.

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