The North Sea and Baltic Sea tax helps municipalities
Tourism Tax, Local Tax, or Tourism Levy: There are many different names for the Kurtaxe. These fees are particularly important for municipalities on the North and Baltic Seas, as they are used mainly to maintain beaches and sanitary facilities.
Everyone wants a clean beach with good infrastructure. However, willingness to pay for this varies. Even though the revenues from the Kurtaxe are relatively low compared to other budget items, hardly any municipality on the North and Baltic Seas wants to do without it.
"We earn about four million euros a year from the Kurtaxe," said Oliver Behncke, managing director of the Tourismus-Service Fehmarn. "This amount includes the annual Kurtaxe from permanent campers, boat owners, and second homeowners."
Overnight guests and day visitors on the Baltic Sea island pay a uniform 2.30 euros, with children under 18 exempt from the fee. During the off-peak season, from September 15 to May 14, 1.50 euros is due.
"The money does not go into the general budget of the municipality, but must only be used for tourist purposes," said Behncke. "This includes the maintenance and upkeep of beaches, 30 WC facilities, 70 kilometers of cycle paths, and six kilometers of promenades."
High revenues in Timmendorfer Strand
The Baltic seaside resort of Timmendorfer Strand in the Ostholstein district also expects revenues of around four million euros from the overnight Kurtaxe in 2024. "In addition, we estimate around 440,000 euros from the beach Kurtaxe," said Gesine Muuß from the Kurverwaltung Timmendorfer Strand.
On Germany's only high-sea island, Helgoland in the Pinneberg district, visitors can lie on the beach for free. However, overnight guests pay between 2.75 euros from April 1 to October 31, and 1.50 euros from November 1. "In 2023, we achieved revenues of 638,000 euros from the Kurtaxe," said Helgoland's Kurdirektorin Katharina Schlicht.
"This money is used, among other things, for the cleaning and security of beaches, children's playgrounds, public toilets, event rooms, library and reading hall, public cultural and sporting events, and the tourist information center," said Schlicht.
In the North Sea resort of St. Peter-Ording, visitors pay between one and three euros per day, depending on the time of their stay. "The payment morale of the guests is usually good," said Claudia Nißen from the Tourismuszentrale of St. Peter-Ording. "In 2023, overnight guests paid around five million euros in Kurtaxe, with an additional 1.1 million euros from day visitors," said Nißen.
The European Union has shown interest in exploring the potential of tourism taxes, like the Kurtaxe, as a source of revenue for coastal towns. Despite the controversy surrounding these taxes, the revenues from the Kurtaxe in places like Fehmarn and Timmendorfer Strand significantly contribute to the maintenance and development of tourist facilities.
