Berlin is going to introduce a city tax for tourists (business travellers won't be affected by it). The tax shall ensure that tourists make a small contribution to Berlin's attractiveness (or so officials say).
From January 2014 it will be 5% of the net price per hotel room per night. The tourism tax will be collected by the owner of the accommodation and will be included in traveller’s hotel bills. It somehow sounds hefty, especially when you compare it with Paris where the tourist tax is at approx. 1.07 percent per person per day (depending on the standard of the accommodation). But since Berlin is a pretty affordable city it is not all too bad after all.
What do you reckon? Are you prepared to pay EUR 10 in tax on top of accommodation costs of EUR 200 excluding VAT per night?
From Berlin with love