Tourist and visitor’s taxes in Switzerland: what do you pay?
Many Swiss communes charge a tourist tax for overnight stays. A Comparis analysis reveals that there are sometimes major price differences.
09.07.2024
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1. Tourist tax: what is it?
Tourist taxes are fees that travellers often have to pay for overnight stays at their destination. These include, for example, the visitor’s tax or the accommodation tax. Among other things, the fee helps to finance tourist infrastructure.
In addition to the tourist tax, there is what is known as the tourism promotion tax, depending on the region. This is a fee specifically for businesses related to tourism. This includes restaurants and cable car operators, for example. In some communes, other companies also have to pay the fee.
The fee is also relevant when renting out an apartment on Airbnb. To facilitate collection, the Airbnb booking platform has entered into tourist tax agreements with various cantons and tourism organizations.
Airbnb automatically collects the tourist tax when you book in certain locations. The platform operators then forward the fees to the canton or commune.
If there is no special agreement at a location, the landlord must take care of the fee independently.
2. Where are tourist taxes levied?
There is no nationwide tourist tax in Switzerland. A Comparis analysis of the 80 Swiss communes with the most overnight guests has shown:
The cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel and Ticino regulate taxes on a cantonal basis.
In the cantons of Zurich and Aargau, there are no statutory tourist taxes. Instead, hotels charge city taxes, provided that they belong to the regional hospitality association.
In the rest of Switzerland, the communes have the authority to regulate tourist taxes.
In some communes, a flat rate is charged for the tourist taxes. This means, instead of billing per guest, businesses pay an annual fee – for example, in the form of a lump sum per bed.
In the case of a flat rate, the host pays an annual fee – regardless of whether the beds are occupied or not. It’s up to the companies themselves whether they pass on the costs to the guests.
3. How high is the tourist tax in Switzerland per day?
Tourist taxes are usually charged per night. Depending on the commune, you pay between zero and seven francs per night. There are also differences depending on the accommodation. For example, the tourist tax is sometimes lower for campsites than for hotels.
Large differences between regions and cantons
Comparis compared the tourist taxes of the 80 most important communes for tourism in Switzerland.
Uniform tourist taxes in the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel and Ticino
In the canton of Geneva, the “taxe de séjour” in a hotel is 3.75 francs per person per night, in Neuchâtel it is 4.20 francs. In Ticino, you pay 4.50 francs for an overnight stay in a four-star hotel. However, a promotional tax of 1.70 francs is added to the “tassa di soggiorno”. In total, overnight guests in Ticino pay 6.20 francs per night.
4. What benefits come with the tourist tax?
Many communes offer a guest card when you pay the tourist tax. The guest card allows you to get discounts and vouchers depending on the commune – for public transport or cable cars, for example.
The communes or cantons themselves determine the benefits of the guest card. In some cases, however, you can only purchase the services from partner companies. In some communes, the guest card also has certain benefits that only apply in the summer season.
This article was first published on 13.10.2021
