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