In exchange for a handful of euros in ‘tourist tax’, these European destinations give visitors free transportation—and more. Could this serve as a model for other cities and towns looking to balance lucrative tourism with local interests?
In recent years, the decision by a destination to charge a tourist tax has been met with outrage. Take Venice, for example. In an effort to curb overtourism, the city chose to implement a fee for out-of-town travelers setting foot in the historic center during peak season—controversy ensued. In Austria, however, charging a tourist tax is nothing new. In fact, the resort town of Bad Ischl first demanded a ‘spa tax’ as early as 1842.
In early 19th-century Austria, you didn’t get much in return for your tax dollars. But today there can be quite a few benefits. In the Tyrolean city of Kufstein, a tourist tax of EUR2.50 per person, per night, means every hotel guest is entitled to a free Kufsteinerland Guest Card.
I discovered these cards on a trip to Kufstein last spring, when I visited for a hiking and history-focused tour of the city. I’ve been offered public transport passes on business trips before, but those passes weren’t normally available for free to the general public. The Kufsteinerland Guest Card is available to anyone traveling for any reason.
The Kufsteinerland Guest Card was launched in 2019 in a bid to be more competitive with other Tyrolean destinations with similar offerings. The city hasn’t studied how many people choose Kufstein over other options because of the guest card’s free perks, but anecdotally, they know they’re working.
“A lot of people appreciate it,” Chiara Wörgötter of the tourism office says. “A lot of people know about it and heard about it, and actively ask the hotels for it.”
So, how does this benefit the town, if they’re footing the bill for the very attractions that draw people to visit in the first place? For one thing, Wörgötter says the cards encourage people to stay overnight rather than visiting just for the day. A large portion of Kufstein’s visitors are German-speaking tourists from nearby Germany or other parts of Austria, where it would be otherwise easy to daytrip.
