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Understanding the Idiom: "pay a visit" - Meaning, Origins, and Usage

The meaning of “pay a visit”.

“Pay a visit” means to go and see someone for a short period of time. It could be to check on their well-being or simply to catch up with them. The phrase is often used when referring to visiting friends or family members, but it can also be used in professional settings such as visiting clients or colleagues.

Usage Examples

Here are some examples of how “pay a visit” can be used:

• I’m planning to pay a visit to my grandparents next weekend.
• The doctor advised me to pay a visit if my symptoms persist.
• We should pay a visit to our new neighbors and welcome them.

Origins and Historical Context of the Idiom “pay a visit”

The phrase “pay a visit” is an idiom that has been used for centuries to describe the act of visiting someone. This expression has its roots in Old English, where it was commonly used to refer to the act of paying tribute or homage to someone.

Over time, the meaning of this phrase evolved, and it began to be used more broadly to describe any type of social call or visit. Today, we use this idiom in many different contexts, from visiting friends and family members to making professional visits for business purposes.

Throughout history, paying visits has been an important part of human interaction. In ancient times, people would often travel long distances just to pay their respects or seek advice from respected leaders or scholars. As societies became more complex and interconnected over time, the practice of paying visits became even more common.

Today, we continue to value the importance of face-to-face interactions with others. Whether we are catching up with old friends or meeting new acquaintances for the first time, paying a visit remains an essential way for us to connect with one another on a personal level.

Usage and Variations of the Idiom “pay a visit”

When we want to see someone or something, we often use the idiom “pay a visit” . This phrase has many variations that can be used in different contexts. Let’s explore some of these variations and how they are commonly used.

One common variation is “make a visit” , which has the same meaning as “pay a visit”. Another variation is “drop by” or “drop in”, which implies a casual or unexpected visit. We can also say “call on” when referring to visiting someone at their home, office, or other location.

The idiom “pay a visit” is often used to describe visiting friends, family members, colleagues, or acquaintances. For example: “I’m going to pay a visit to my grandmother this weekend.” It can also be used in more formal situations such as business meetings: “The CEO paid a surprise visit to our office yesterday.”

“Drop by” and its variations are commonly used when referring to informal visits with friends or acquaintances: “I’m going to drop by Sarah’s house after work today.” Similarly, we might say: “I just wanted to drop in and say hello.”

“Call on” is typically reserved for more formal occasions such as job interviews or professional meetings: “I need to call on Mr. Smith at his office tomorrow.” However, it can also be used in everyday conversation when referring to visiting someone’s home: “We’re planning on calling on our neighbors this weekend.”

Synonyms, Antonyms, and Cultural Insights for the Idiom “pay a visit”

Instead of saying “pay a visit” , you could use phrases like “drop by”, “stop in”, or “pop in”. These expressions convey the same meaning but with different nuances. For example, if you say you’re going to “drop by” someone’s house, it implies that your visit will be brief and casual. On the other hand, if you say you’re going to “stop in”, it suggests that your visit might be longer or more formal.

Antonyms for “pay a visit” include phrases like “avoid”, “ignore”, or simply not visiting at all. Of course, these expressions have negative connotations and are not appropriate when talking about friendly visits.

Culturally speaking, paying visits is an important social custom in many countries around the world. In some cultures, such as Japan and Korea, it is customary to remove one’s shoes before entering someone’s home as a sign of respect. In other cultures, such as Italy and Spain, it is common to bring small gifts or treats when visiting friends or family members.

Practical Exercises for the Idiom “pay a visit”

Exercise 1: fill in the blanks.

In this exercise, you will need to fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the given options:

• It’s been a while since I last _______ my grandparents.
• We decided to _______ our friends who live across town.
• I’m planning to _______ my old school teacher next week.

Exercise 2: Create sentences

In this exercise, you will need to create sentences using “pay a visit” in different contexts:

• Create a sentence using “pay a visit” when talking about visiting someone at their workplace.
• Create a sentence using “pay a visit” when talking about visiting someone who is sick or unwell.
• Create a sentence using “pay a visit” when talking about visiting an unfamiliar place for sightseeing purposes.

Exercise 3: Role-play activity

In this exercise, you will need to role-play different scenarios where you would use the idiom “pay a visit” . This could include situations such as visiting family members during holidays or dropping by someone’s house unexpectedly. You can practice with friends or family members and try out different variations of the idiom based on context and tone of conversation.

By practicing these exercises regularly, you’ll soon become more confident in using the idiom “pay a visit” in your everyday conversations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using the Idiom “pay a visit”

When using idiomatic expressions, it’s important to understand their meaning and usage in context. The idiom “pay a visit” is commonly used to describe visiting someone or somewhere, but there are some common mistakes that people make when using this expression.

Using the Wrong Preposition

One of the most common mistakes when using “pay a visit” is using the wrong preposition. The correct preposition to use with this idiom is “to”. For example, you can say “I’m going to pay a visit to my grandmother.” Using other prepositions like “at” or “in” would be incorrect and sound unnatural.

Misusing the Word Order

Another mistake people make with this idiom is misusing the word order. The correct order should be subject + verb + object. For example, you can say “I’m going to pay a visit to my friend.” Incorrectly saying something like “To my friend I’m going to pay a visit” would be grammatically incorrect and confusing.

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pay (someone) a visit

Definition of pay (someone) a visit

Examples of pay (someone) a visit in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pay (someone) a visit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near pay (someone) a visit

pay (someone) a compliment

pay someone no mind

Cite this Entry

“Pay (someone) a visit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay%20%28someone%29%20a%20visit. Accessed 17 Jul. 2024.

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pay a visit

Idioms and phrases.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

pay a visit

• 1.1 Pronunciation
• 1.2.1 Translations

Pronunciation

pay a visit ( third-person singular simple present pays a visit , present participle paying a visit , simple past and past participle paid a visit )

• 2020 September 25, Reuters Staff, “Thai republican hashtag trends after constitution change delayed”, in Reuters ‎ [1] , Reuters, retrieved 2020-09-25 : Some protesters say the constitution also gives too much power to the king, who paid a rare visit to Thailand on Thursday for ceremonies honouring his grandfather, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. The king has spent most of his time in Europe since taking the throne nearly four years ago.
• 2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL , number 970 , page 55 : Brighton station is awash with people paying a visit to the seaside.
• ( idiomatic , euphemistic ) To go to the toilet .

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Idiom:  pay a visit

Meaning .

Idiom:  pay a visit to someone/something (pay someone/something a visit)

• to go see someone or something

Example sentences

• I haven’t heard from my father in two weeks so I’m going to pay him a visit and make sure he’s okay.
• There are very few doctors who will pay a visit to patients' homes these days.
• It's been a few months since we've seen my mother-in-law so we need to pay a visit this weekend.
• My best friend was in town and decided to pay a visit but we were at the shopping mall so I missed her.
• Let's pay a visit to the cemetery on Veterans Day and lay down some flowers at my grandfather's grave.
• You'll be paying the dentist a visit  soon if you don't stop drinking so many sodas and eating those sugary candies.
• If you have a chance to pay a visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial while you're in the Dakotas you will not regret it.
• A couple of police officers paid our office a visit this afternoon and I'm dying to know what they questioned my boss about.
• Every Memorial Day we pay a visit to my uncle's grave to pay our respects.
• come around

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Example sentences pay a visit

Just pay a visit to the link below.

Few politicians have dared to pay a visit to a concentration camp during their re-election campaign.

If you've been feeling low for more than a couple of weeks pay a visit to your doc.

Pay a visit to the newspaper editor and treat him to a knuckle sandwich?

Contact your local environmental health or planning department and ask it to pay a visit .

Definition of 'pay' pay

Definition of 'visit' visit

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• pay a visit to

verb as in visit

Strongest matches

Strong matches

Weak matches

• come around
• look around

Related Words

Words related to pay a visit to are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word pay a visit to . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

verb as in pay a visit

verb as in be a guest of

On this page you'll find 44 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to pay a visit to, such as: call, call on, frequent, hit, inspect, and play.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

pay a visit

collocation pattern: verb + noun

to visit someone or something

For example

• You should pay your lawyer a visit and get some advice.
• If you have time, pay a visit to the science museum while you're here.

Paying a visit to someone always

Contributor: Matt Errey

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More From Forbes

10 remote jobs that pay you $100,000+ to travel in 2024.

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Remote jobs in tech start-ups appear to be the most likely to offer a fully remote ... [+] work-from-anywhere policy, with other numerous benefits

Ever dreamed of getting paid to travel?

It's actually not a far-fetched idea. There are many jobs, from freelancing to working as an employee for companies, which are hiring right now (at the time of writing), and pay you a six-figure salary to explore the world on your own terms while delivering quality work from your location.

This is the essence of what it means to be a digital nomad.

Perhaps the question, "Ever dreamed of getting paid to travel?" should be rephrased to, "Ever heard of work-from-anywhere companies?"

Yes, they really do exist. There are at least hundreds of them...employers who are actively breaking down barriers (usually start-ups and tech-focused companies) and hiring team members from all over the globe, allowing them to live and work where the please, so long as they get the job done.

If that sounds too good to be true, consider these two current job listings as examples, and the hiring values of the companies who have listed them:

1. Remote Account Executive At Float

This role , which covers the American and APAC (Asia-Pacific) region, pays up to $150,000 inclusive of OTE (on-target earnings). The company boasts team members from around the world , from Canada, to Nigeria, to the U.S., to Australia. What's unique about Float is their hiring ethos: they take time to detail all the requirements and experience needed for the role, and they set your expectations for what you will be doing/learning in your first few months of the job. The listing then proceeds to detail what to expect as you progress and take on more responsibility.

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Elon musk will give about $45 million a month to support trump, report says, trump—with bandaged ear and misty eyes—appears at republican convention (photos).

Another unique aspect which sets this employer apart so far as hiring is concerned, is that they showcase a video within the listing, of the hiring manager discussing the role and why it is needed. This is good for two reasons:

First, it makes the hiring manager more relatable. You're able to put a face to the name, as it were, and it disarms you as he appears to be friendly and relaxed. This is great preparation for your job interview should you be successful.

Second, the video shows the hiring manager (possibly your soon-to-be-boss) working remotely in Madeira. Whether he lives there or not is of little concern, but it is likely that he recorded the video from a café on the island, based on the background. This already sets your expectations for what it is like to work remotely in this company.

This serves to reinforce this lesson: When applying for a remote job, seek out transparency. The more a company shouts about their remote work policies from the rooftops, the better for your peace of mind.

2. Remote Full Stack Engineer At LightDash

LightDash is an opensource tech company that is remote-first. "We’re fully remote from anywhere +/- 3 hours from UK time," their website says. Additionally, to ensure that their next exceptional talent is not deterred from applying for their roles, they state that they are open to suggestions from outside these time zones.

The company touts multiple benefits in addition to their work-from-anywhere policy, such as equity, unlimited PTO (with 28 days mandated at the very least ), and a learning and development budget to help you progress your career.

With regards to pay, the salary for their full stack engineer role is set up to £110,000 (in GBP) which is roughly the equivalent of $140,000 in USD.

Companies like LightDash are role models as far as their hiring policies are concerned, because they are keen to include benefits that truly matter to most employees—such as working from any location, career progression and learning, and wellbeing through unlimited PTO.

More Remote Jobs That Pay $100,000+ While You Travel

Now that you've seen that there are employers who make it possible to work and travel, here are some other types of remote roles that pay over $100,000 on average, that allow you the opportunity to work from anywhere (granted you're with a remote-first employer like the ones listed above) and travel to your heart's content:

• Data analyst
• Data scientist
• Blockchain developer
• Cloud solutions architect
• Product manager
• UX/UI designer
• Digital marketing manager
• Cybersecurity specialist

Look out for companies who have strong personality, transparency, and are relatable, as this is a ... [+] good indicator of your future in working with them

Provided you have the necessary skills and experience, these remote jobs offer you flexibility, improved wellbeing, and the ability to make your money stretch further in another country while traveling.

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Wisconsin cities want presidential candidates to pay for pricey campaign stops

Editor's note: This story was reported and written before the July 13 shooting at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, which is being investigated as an assassination attempt.     

With President Joe Biden and Donald Trump again eying Wisconsin as a crucial presidential election battleground, some cash-strapped municipalities hope their campaigns will pick up the tab for their expensive visits to the state.

Those include the cities of Green Bay and Eau Claire, where officials said they still haven’t been reimbursed for tens of thousands of dollars in costs related to public safety and operational support during campaign visits dating back to 2016. 

On a snowy Tuesday evening in April , Trump made his first visit in four years to Green Bay, delivering a roughly one-hour speech to hundreds of supporters gathered downtown at the KI Convention Center.

More: Trump rally today in Green Bay: Former president focuses on immigration in campaign speech

The city’s costs for the rally totaled nearly $33,400, officials said in a July 2 press release . The costs stemmed from operational, security and traffic coordination services — the biggest chunk coming in police overtime —  and preparing for the risks of welcoming a high-profile candidate, said Diana Ellenbecker, the city’s finance director. 

Trump’s arrival at 5 p.m. on a workday “created much more overtime and much more coordination for the bigger crowd,” Ellenbecker said. “There’s just hours and hours and hours involved administratively, besides all the operational needs, to make it a safe event.”

Trump campaign not willing to pay bills

The April rally was the most expensive presidential campaign event Green Bay has hosted without being reimbursed since 2016. Trump’s campaign has refused to reimburse the city for those costs or for nearly $9,400 in police expenses related to an August 2016 rally, city records show. 

“When we reached out to the Trump camp, they sent an email that they’re not responsible for paying this bill,” Ellenbecker said. 

Without reimbursement, the extra rally costs eat into the department reserve funds. 

“It does have an impact,” Ellenbecker said. “It makes departments look like they’re overspending their budgets because they’re incurring expenses that they didn’t have a revenue source for.” 

President Biden has not visited Green Bay this year, but first lady Jill Biden visited the Brown County Public Library in June to promote the president’s health care policies , prompting the city to invoice the Democrat’s campaign nearly $7,000 for police, fire, parking and related costs for an event that was smaller and easier to support than Trump’s rally. The city received a payment from Biden’s campaign days after its July press release listed the invoice as unpaid, and Ellenbecker called the campaign “proactive” in handling it. 

More: First lady Jill Biden visits Green Bay, tells supporters President Biden will protect Medicare, Social Security

“We pay our bills, and Trump doesn’t,” Eliana Locke, regional spokesperson for the Biden campaign, told Wisconsin Watch. “He’s continued to stiff working people, and that includes places like Green Bay.”

Trump’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment, but it has previously denied responsibility for such costs. 

“It is the U.S. Secret Service, not the campaign, which coordinates with local law enforcement,” the Trump campaign told The Center for Public Integrity in April 2020 , responding to the news outlet’s findings that the campaign refused to pay invoices from 14 local governments totaling $1.82 million. “The campaign itself does not contract with local governments for police involvement. All billing inquiries should go to the Secret Service.” 

At the Trump campaign’s suggestion, Green Bay shared its April invoice with the Secret Service, Ellenbecker said, only to be told “that’s not our responsibility to pay this bill.”

Green Bay officials said the campaigns of two Democrats still owe the city for costs stemming from events in 2016: Hillary Clinton (about $12,500) and Bernie Sanders (nearly $2,000). 

“Green Bay residents are frugal people who pay their bills, and they expect presidential candidates to do the same,” Mayor Eric Genrich said in the city’s press release. “It is a matter of fairness and fiscal responsibility — our residents should not bear the burden of these expenses.”

Oshkosh city manager: ‘Campaigns ignore municipalities’  

Green Bay isn’t the only city feeling stiffed by past presidential campaigns.   

Officials in Eau Claire, which hosted Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016, said the city is still owed nearly $47,000 and $7,000 from each visit respectively. 

“We have not been paid, and we do not expect to be paid, and there’s no recourse for us to be paid from them,” Regi Akan, who works in the office of City Manager Stephanie Hirsch, told Wisconsin Watch. 

The city of Oshkosh incurred costs related to a 2020 Trump rally and a campaign visit from Chelsea Clinton in 2016, but the city hasn’t aggressively sought reimbursement due to historic challenges in doing so, said City Manager Mark Rohloff in an interview.

Rohloff, who worked decades ago in California local government, said the problem isn’t new. He recalls trying to bill former President Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign to no avail.   

“Campaigns ignore municipalities, thinking that they should be happy that a presidential candidate chooses to come and visit their town,” Rohloff said. “Unless the campaigns are going to publicly commit and be held accountable for paying or not paying their bills, it’s going to be very difficult.”

Trump’s campaign did reimburse at least one Wisconsin city for a campaign stop. In a document acquired by Business Insider in 2020, Trump’s campaign treasurer at the time approved a $5,574 payment to the city of La Crosse for costs related to a September 2020 rally. The payment arrived several weeks late, and it was also 10 cents short of the invoice’s requested amount, Business Insider reported . The Trump campaign at the time, however, had not paid the city for a 2016 event. 

Past proposal would allow upfront invoicing 

Responding to complaints about unpaid invoices, Democrats in the Legislature have previously proposed legislation to allow local governments to require advance payments from visiting presidential or vice presidential candidates.

The “ Recovery of Unsettled Municipal Payments Act” failed to advance after being introduced in the 2019-2020 and 2023-2024 legislative sessions.

“Before President Trump or any of the other presidential campaigns come to Wisconsin, they should pay their bills if they expect to hold events for voters,” said the bill’s most recent co-sponsorship memo, authored by Sens. Jeff Smith of Brunswick and Chris Larson of Milwaukee, along with Reps. Kristina Shelton of Green Bay and Jodi Emerson of Eau Claire.

Such legislation is a “nice gesture,” Rohloff said, but enforcement would prove difficult because municipalities can’t reasonably deny services aimed at protecting the public.

“We have to assist our federal and state law enforcement partners to ensure public safety,” Rohloff said.  “So we're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place because we're not going to say no, and (campaigns) know it.” 

Shouldering extra costs of campaign visits is necessary, regardless of whether campaigns chip in, said Dylan Brogan, spokesperson for the city of Madison. Madison, the site of a rally for President Biden on July 5 , follows a long-standing practice of not billing campaigns for visits, regardless of party.  It does not plan to invoice Biden’s campaign. 

More: Joe Biden brings his embattled presidential campaign to Wisconsin Democratic stronghold

The only exception to this practice, Brogan said, was a 2019 visit from Sanders during his presidential campaign run. His campaign “specifically asked the city for an invoice so he could pay them back, and his campaign did,” Brogan said.

But gestures like Sanders’ are rare, Brogan said.

“There’s only so much the city can do except to be welcoming and making sure that everyone is safe.”

This story was produced as part of the NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) News Lab, a consortium of six news outlets .

You can now pay $95 to peer out over the UK's most famous royal balcony — but you still can't stand on it

• Buckingham Palace's East Wing is opening to the public for the first time.
• The East Wing, refurbished over many years, includes the famous royal balcony and Centre Room.
• Visitors can see over 3,500 objects, but won't be able to go on the balcony itself.

At seemingly every major state event in the UK, key figures from the British royal family line up on a balcony at Buckingham Palace to wave to the public.

It's where then-Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana shared their first public post-wedding kiss, and where — years later — the "fab four" waved to crowds before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's rift with his family emerged.

But until now this part of the building has never been open to the public.

Starting from July 11, and running until September 29, visitors to the palace will be able to pay around $95 for a guided tour of Buckingham Palace's East Wing, which has just emerged from a lengthy refurbishment.

Tickets sold out within hours of being announced in April, Sky News reported . The palace is considering whether to repeat it next year.

The East Wing covers the building's main facade and includes the Centre Room, which offers a glimpse out onto the balcony.

Built in 1847, it was commissioned by Queen Victoria to accommodate her growing family, closing off what had been a horseshoe-shaped courtyard.

The balcony itself was the idea of Prince Albert, the queen's consort, in order to "connect with the people," Caroline de Guitaut, a palace surveyor, told The Guardian .

But you won't be able to give a royal wave from it yourself, according to the BBC .

Related stories

This may be due to safety reasons, it suggested — the balcony barrier is below waist height.

The space is also surprisingly cramped, the outlet reported.

Even King Charles seems to have worried about toppling over at his coronation, The Mirror reported in 2023 , citing a lip-reader who said he had spoken about not standing too close to the edge.

But even Harry and Meghan can't make appearances there now after the late Queen decided that it was for working royals only.

You might not be able to access the ultimate selfie location, but you can still see a great deal.

Those touring the East Wing can take in more than 3,500 objects, with the Centre Room's crowning feature a giant, lotus-shaped glass chandelier that has hung over the heads of many royals.

Many objects on view are Chinese-themed, reflecting King George IV's love of the country's art and design.

These include recently restored hand-painted wallpaper dating to the 18th century in the room where Queen Elizabeth II sat for many of her portraits, per The Guardian.

The refurbishment of the East Wing cost $475 million, leading to questions in the UK parliament when it was first announced in 2016.

It was ultimately paid for through a massive uptick in the Sovereign Grant, the money that working royals are given to fulfill their public duties.

Watch: How much does the British royal family cost?

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What is tourist tax and will you have to pay it in Europe this summer?

Although tourist tax isn't a new concept, an increasing number of destinations are starting to impose the charge on travellers. Don't get caught out by these often hidden costs — here's everything you need to know about tourist tax in Europe.

In April, hundreds of local residents marched through Venice to protest at a new €5 (£4.20) fee being charged to day visitors. Separate from the nightly tourist tax already applied to accommodation, the new charge forms part of a three-month trial initiated to help curb overtourism at peak times. Anyone entering must show a pre-paid QR code, something many residents regard as an imposition against their freedom and, for the small sum being charged, unlikely to act as a deterrent anyway.

However, such tourist taxes aren’t breaking news — Bhutan has been asking visitors to pay a hefty one since 1974 (it’s recently been reduced to £78 per day). But the number of cities implementing such measures or increasing existing taxes, is rapidly growing, especially across Europe. And, while tax doesn’t have to be confusing, it generally is, with different charges being applied under different names, rules and stipulations. Here’s what you need to know about paying tourist tax in Europe this summer.

What is tourist tax?

Tourist tax is a small daily charge, typically applied to your hotel bill, paid as a one-off payment at immigration or tacked onto your airfare. As these taxes are government-applied levies, they’re mandatory, meaning you’ll often have to pay them before you’re able to check in. Seen as a way of addressing some of the more negative impacts of tourism, such as too many visitors and environmental degradation, they also purport to give back to local economies. Natalia Bayona, executive director of UN Tourism says: “Tourist taxes can play a significant role in how destinations manage tourism flows. But the implementation of these fees is also designed to deliver more of the economic benefits that tourism offers back to the host communities.”

Yet, as in Venice, they can be controversial. The European Tourism Association (ETOA), a trade body that promotes tourism within Europe, is against tourist levies. “They impose the burden of payment on those who choose to stay in the destination,” says Tom Jenkins, CEO of ETOA. “They’re imposed at short notice to plug an urgent fiscal gap. It’s a fallacy that they’re a control measure.”

Due to the absence of a universal system, they’re complex, too. Each country or city can charge what and how they like, making it a job to know what you’re looking for on your bill or factor the exact cost into your holiday. Some taxes are charged at a flat rate, while others are a percentage of your accommodation bill or absorbed into the room rate. The type of accommodation or star rating of a hotel also makes a difference, as does seasonality and the age of children. For example, Venice’s overnight tax can be anything up to €5 (£4.20) per night, depending on the type of hotel, location and time of year and the charge applies to anyone over the age of 10 for up to five consecutive days. In Lisbon, it’s €2 (£1.70), although there’s a proposal to hike it to €4 (£3,40) per night for periods of up to a week for visitors aged 13 and over.

Why do destinations charge tourist tax?

Fundamentally, tourist taxes are there to bring in revenue, whether that’s for the general upkeep of the city, to improve tourism or to impose sustainability initiatives. Although Simone Venturini, the deputy mayor for Social Welfare, Tourism, Health and Economic Development in Venice suggests the new day-tripper tax “aims to raise awareness of the protection and respect of the city and is not to make money”.

The taxes are also seen as a way of cracking down on the vast number of visitors in certain destinations, especially at peak times, particularly to protect sights at risk of damage due to heavy footfall. Additionally, they’re a way for local authorities to reimburse money for services normally paid for by residents that are shared with tourists, or to initiate some sort of tourism budget.

Whether they’re an effective solution in combating an influx of people and protecting the environment is yet to be seen. But with worldwide tourism figures reaching 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024, governments are eagerly looking for new sources of income.

( What’s the problem with overtourism? )

How is tourist tax used?

Each local authority will have different reasons for collecting tourist tax and different pots the income will be allocated to. Some openly share where the money is going: Bali’s recent entry taxation of 150,000 Indonesian rupiah (£7.20) per person has, according to the official tourism website , been put towards protecting the island's natural habitats, strengthening local culture and improving tourism services and heritage. Venturini says that the revenue from overnight tourist tax in Venice “has ensured better services for a unique city that has higher maintenance costs than the rest of the world. The historic centre is swept by hand as trucks or other mechanical means cannot be used. Similarly, traffic travels by water and not by land, with all the consequences that entails”.

What do travellers need to know about tourist tax?

The key thing to know is if you’re likely to be charged for overnight stays, and, if you are, how this will be levied. While most places will accept payment via card, there’s likely to still be some that charge cash, so arrive prepared. Also check whether you have to pay two tourist taxes for one stay. Barcelona recently increased its overnight tax from €3.25 (£2.75), but visitors also have to pay a regional Catalonia charge, making the total €6.75 (£5.70) per person, per night. And Paris is the same, with both taxes being doubled to fund transport costs during the upcoming Olympics.

The fees are ever-changing, too. Amsterdam has recently raised its tourist tax to 12.5% — the highest in Europe. Some winter sun spots have caught on: Portugal’s Algarve has just introduced a tax, while both the Canary Islands and Tenerife are mooted to be introducing theirs in 2025. Alternatively, the new government in Spain’s Valencia has scrapped plans for a tax, the president deeming it to be ​​“unfair and unnecessary”. And different places refer to the tourist tax by different names: Greece recently changed the name of its tax to a ‘climate crisis resilience fee’.  

In the UK, different laws mean taxes differ from country to country. Scotland has recently introduced a levy, while the Welsh government is considering how best to give local authorities power. Despite no law in England, some small Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have been set up by groups of hotels to charge taxes in the likes of Manchester, Liverpool and Dorset, including Bournemouth. Next year, the EU will also implement a new tourist visa for non-EU citizens costing €7 (£6).

Is there a better solution?

According to Bayona, a well-designed tourism tax can be beneficial to destinations. However, Zaid Alrawadieh, a senior lecturer in hospitality and tourism operations at Oxford Brookes University says: “I believe that the benefit-sharing approach is more sensible to offset the negative impacts of tourism. Some hotels already do so by offering guests free drink vouchers if they reuse their towels or don’t have their room cleaned. This is a win-win approach whereby the hotel reduces operating costs and the guest sees some benefit.”

In essence, tourist taxes might not deter heavy footfall yet, but they do seem to be highlighting a need for visitors to at least tread more carefully.

( What you need to know about European travel this summer .)

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