Kraków does not want to be another Barcelona. That’s how much he could earn on the new fee
This solution has been talked about for years, but it has not been implemented. Krakow councilors voted in favor of submitting a resolution to the government of the Republic of Poland regarding the collection of a tourist fee.
Krakow is one of the most popular tourist cities in Poland. It increasingly appears in foreign lists and articles as a dream place to visit in Europe.
For several years now, the city has been struggling with similar problems as the tourist-heavy cities in southern Europe – crowds, noise at night and the increase in apartment prices due to short-term rentals. They know the problem well, among others: residents of the fashionable Kazimierz district, who have been publicizing the problem for a long time, including: with hordes of drunk tourists around long-open establishments and heavy traffic.
Krakow councilors recently took another step towards charging guests visiting the city.
Resolution on the tourist fee in Krakow
On October 9, they unanimously decided to submit a resolution to the government of the Republic of Poland regarding the introduction of a tourist fee. The city has been trying for years to introduce it by amending the Act on local taxes and fees. The proceeds would support the city budget and allow for the development of more sustainable tourism and improvement of the comfort of residents and guests.
Currently, in accordance with this Act (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2023, item 70), the city can only collect a local fee from people staying in a given town for recreational, health or tourist purposes. The city must simultaneously meet three conditions, i.e. have favorable climatic properties, landscape values and conditions enabling people to stay for tourism, recreation and training purposes.
This is how much the city could earn
An amendment to the act is necessary to collect the fee regardless of the “climatic” condition. Currently, the maximum local tax rate from January 1, 2024 is PLN 3.22 per one overnight stay. Last year, it was estimated that the revenues from collecting the tourist fee could amount to over PLN 50 million
The councilors have already appealed to the previous government on this matter. In 2017, Kraków prepared and submitted a proposal for changes to the Association of Polish Cities, which then sent it to government bodies. This concept was also sent to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.
It is worth mentioning that the tourist fee was collected in Krakow in 2004-2015. Its collection was suspended after changes to environmental protection regulations and the city’s failure to meet this condition.
