Turkiye to start levying 2% accommodation tax on tourists from January

From January 1, Turkiye will start applying a 2% tax on accommodation in hotels, tourist villages, motels, boarding houses, hotels, campsites and other accommodation facilities for tourists, Report informs referring to Resmi gazete.

The amount of taxation will not be affected in any way by the services provided by hotels, such as meals, leisure activities, use of the pool, sports, thermal and zones, etc.

Students living in hostels, boarding houses and campsites, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Turkiye and international organizations with diplomatic status will be exempted from paying the tax.

The Turkish authorities decided to introduce a residence tax for tourists back in 2019, but its implementation was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, by the end of the current year, the republic expects 51.5 million tourists. Tourism revenue is projected at $46 billion. Turkey hopes to receive 60 million tourists next year.