Key Takeaways
- Russia introduces a new tourist tax, replacing the resort fee, to bolster regional tourism infrastructure.
- The new tax will be 1 percent of lodging costs in 2025, gradually rising to 3 percent by 2027.
- Hotels and other lodging providers will technically be the taxpayers, but the cost will be passed on to tourists.
Moscow: A new tourist tax has come into effect across Russia on Wednesday, replacing the previous resort fee, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday.
From Jan. 1, 2025, travelers staying in hotels and other accommodations will contribute an additional 1 percent of their lodging costs, marking the start of a phased plan to bolster regional tourism infrastructure.
The tax was introduced as part of amendments to the Russian Tax Code in July 2024, which added a new chapter titled “Tourist Tax,” granting regional authorities discretion to implement the tax as a local levy. Several regions, including those with established tourism industries, have already implemented the new tax. Over 20 regions have shown interest in the initiative.
Under the current framework, the tourist tax will begin at a rate of 1 percent in 2025 and gradually rise to 3 percent by 2027. To ensure a baseline contribution, a minimum daily charge of 100 rubles (0.9 U.S. dollar) has been established.
While hotels and other lodging providers are technically the taxpayers, the cost will be incorporated into the price of accommodations, thus being passed to tourists.
