Hawaii, Greece, Bali... Climate Tax Adoption Spreading
Wildfire Recovery and Ecological Restoration Cited as Justification
'Tax Transparency' Is Key to Success
Climate taxes are being introduced one after another in major global resorts such as Hawaii, Maldives, and Bali. Various additional fees are being imposed on tourism costs, including accommodation charges, under the pretext of "environmental protection." As a result, a structure in which tourists pay for the environmental damage caused by tourism is becoming more established. Climate response fees are now being applied to a wide range of items, from national park entrance fees to hotel stays and resort usage charges. Governments emphasize that these are not simply new sources of tax revenue, but rather "strategic investments to strengthen the climate disaster resilience of tourist destinations."
Climate taxes are being introduced one after another in major global resorts such as Hawaii, Maldives, and Bali. Photo by Getty Images
Hawaii, First in the U.S. to Collect 'Climate Tax' from Tourists
According to the BBC on August 5 (local time), Hawaii passed the "Green Fee" bill last May, becoming the first state in the United States to secure funding for climate crisis response in the tourism industry. The bill stipulates an additional 0.75% on top of the existing accommodation tax and is scheduled to take effect in 2026. The Hawaii state government plans to raise approximately $100 million (about 138.7 billion won) annually through this system for climate response funding. The funds raised will be allocated to a wide range of environmental projects, including wildfire recovery, coastal erosion prevention, coral reef restoration, management of nature reserves, and the construction of climate adaptation infrastructure.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green explained, "More than 10 million tourists visit Hawaii every year, putting significant pressure on the natural environment," and emphasized, "A climate finance base is absolutely necessary to maintain a sustainable tourism industry." The state plans to expand this tax not only to accommodation facilities but also to short-term rental properties and, in the future, to cruise tourism fees.
Similar measures are already being implemented in Greece. Since last year, the Greek government has converted its existing accommodation tax into a "Climate Crisis Resilience Fee." The fee varies depending on the hotel rating and whether it is peak season, ranging from a minimum of 0.51 euros (about 820 won) to as much as 20 euros (about 32,000 won) per night. In particular, higher fees are applied in major tourist destinations such as Mykonos and Santorini.
Bali and Maldives Also Implementing... Taxes Used for Environmental Protection
Bali, Indonesia's leading tourist destination in Southeast Asia, has also been imposing a separate "environmental fund" of 150,000 rupiah (about 12,000 won) per foreign tourist since last year. The fee is collected upon arrival in Bali and is used as funding for environmental protection and support for local community infrastructure. The Indonesian government has also indicated the possibility of raising this fee in the future.
Since 2015, the Maldives has been implementing a tourism tax called the "Green Tax." Starting this year, the fee has been doubled, and now 12 dollars (about 16,700 won) per person per night is charged for resort and hotel stays. This tax is used for overall environmental management, including waste disposal, prevention of marine pollution, coastal disaster prevention, and coral restoration.
Justification Is Clear... The Key Issue Is 'Tax Transparency'
Experts point out that "tax transparency" is the key issue regarding the introduction of climate taxes. They warn, "While climate taxes are justified in that they pass on some of the costs of natural resource use to tourists, if it is not clearly disclosed how the funds are actually used, it could have negative consequences." In fact, similar tourism taxes with comparable purposes are being implemented in places like Venice, Italy, and other countries around the world. However, in some regions, lack of transparency in the collection methods and use of the funds has led to backlash from civic groups and the tourism industry. As a result, transparent tax management and institutionalized consultation structures with local communities are cited as the key factors that will determine the success of these systems.
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