While initially appearing in some corners of the internet as a joke, the idea of a “tourist tax” is being increasingly picked up by some countries and cities dealing with the effects of overtourism.
Over the last year, cities such as Venice and Cancun have introduced the fee for any non-resident coming in while Iceland, the Bahamas and the Indonesian island of Bali are all presently in the midst of holding public discussions on the idea.
Related: A popular European city is introducing the highest ‘tourist tax’ yet
While the speech focused on the mass devastation caused by the wildfires that spread through Maui last August, Hawaiian Governor Josh Green floated the idea of a “modest fee” charged to tourists coming into the state at the annual State of the State address on Jan. 22.
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Hawaiian Governor says: ‘I believe this is not too much to ask’
While the details would need to be worked out and voted in by Hawaii’s lawmakers, Green envisions it as a $25 “Climate Impact Fee” that would be charged when guests check into a hotel, resort or short-term rental property and go toward mitigating the impacts of fossil fuels on the state’s ecology.