Plan to budget more if you’re heading to these spots next year.
Inflation in the U.S. has been a topic of conversation for the last many months. In June 2022, it was at record-high of 9.1% with fuel, groceries, and rent costing an arm and a leg. However, there has been a significant drop in inflation, and the current 3.2% is a big relief to consumers.
For travelers, there have been waves of highs and lows with flight prices, hotel prices, and car rentals fluctuating. Right now, domestic travel is stabilized. Hopper reports that domestic round trip airfare has gone down 11% (or $32) per ticket compared to 2019. International travel, especially to Europe and Asia, is still high in comparison to pre-pandemic years—fares to Asia cost $525 more per ticket.
That’s not all though—destinations around the world are getting pricier due to myriad reasons, from flight cuts to tourist taxes. In 2024, you’ll have to shell out a bit more for your international holidays to these places, so budget your trips accordingly.
Portugal
Some not-so-great news for travelers in Europe: Ryanair is cutting flights to destinations in Portugal, including Faro, Porto, and Madeira. The airline might close the base in Madeira. The low-cost airline blames increased charges by the ANA Aeroportos de Portugal (the airport authority in Portugal) for the change.
Euro News reports that airport fees are increasing 14.6% in 2024. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told the publication that ANA is harming Portugal’s growth with “excessive and unjustified” increase in fares. ANA has criticized the airline and said that the proposed average rates are lower than 2019.
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What it means for travelers is that due to reduction in flights, and services to the country from the U.K. will become limited and thus, expensive.
Venice
The debated tourist tax plan is coming into effect next year in Venice. The Italian city has a fragile ecosystem that has suffered from the ill-effects of overtourism; so much so that the UNESCO advisory has been considering adding it to their Danger List.
More than 52,000 tourists visit the city every day (100,000+ during peak summer months). The city has been considering regulating tourist numbers for years. In 2021, it banned large cruise ships from entering the lagoon.
A tourist tax has been on the table since 2017 and it was finally approved in 2022. It hasn’t been implemented due to concerns about a drop in tourist revenue. However, it is finally come into effect next year with the city charging day-trippers a fee of €5.
The fee will have to be paid during 8:30 AM until 4 PM on “peak weekends and other days between April and mid-July–29 days in total.” Residents, students, Venetian-born visitors, and tourists with hotel bookings are exempted, according to Euro News. The booking system is expected to go up in January.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam has been on the path to discourage “bad tourists.” The tourism board launched a controversial campaign earlier this year that targeted young British men looking specifically to party in the city and told them to “stay away.” The city is also actively discouraging cannabis tourism and cruise tourism. In 2019, it also banned tours of the Red Light District.
Now in a bid to limit wild tourists, it’s increasing the tourist tax from 7% to 12.5% from 2024. This makes it the highest tourist tax in Europe. For travelers, it translates into $23 per night for an average room rate of $185, whereas right now the tax is around $15 per night. Cruisers will also pay more for their trips to the city, from $8.50 to $11.60.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Amsterdam’s Top Attractions
Buenos Aires
Argentina is currently facing a major financial crisis. Inflation has hit 143% and recession is looming. The high cost of living has impacted residents and according to the Hotel Monitor 2024 report by American Express, the city of Buenos Aires will see a 17% jump in hotel rates.
You still get a really good price for your dollar due to the “Blue Collar” exchange rate, but you should consider staying in a hotel instead of an Airbnb to make sure locals aren’t turned down from getting homes due to an influx of vacation rentals for tourists.
Bali
Bali has battled overtourism throughout the years, and it was also on the Fodor’s No List 2020. More than two million tourists visited the island in 2022, and incidents of tourists behaving badly have made international news.
The island is facing an unruly tourist problem: people disrespecting sacred mountains, posing nude, and disobeying laws. Testing the patience of locals, tourists are now barred from renting bikes and the government is considering making mountains off limits, too. Tourists are also getting deported from Bali for inappropriate behavior—from January to August 2023, 213 people from Russia, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, among others, were kicked out.
In the light of recent problems with tourists, the island is introducing a tourist tax of $10 per person from 2024 to preserve its culture. It’s a one-time fee that will be paid electronically by foreign tourists, but locals are exempted.
Related: How Not To Be A Jerk in Bali