How New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, And Honolulu Will Be Bombarding With Explosive Tourism Tax: Are You Ready To Take The Heat?

Published on October 11, 2025

As 2026 approaches, respective U.S. states are group to present new tourism taxes or modify existing ones to make gross for biology protection, infrastructure, and fiscal policies. These measures target world visitors and home travelers, aiming to make tourism a much sustainable and beneficial economical driver. Here’s a look astatine immoderate key tourism-related taxes and changes expected successful 2026 crossed various states.

1. Hawaii: Green Fee and TAT Increase

Hawaii, known for its stunning beaches and earthy beauty, has agelong faced challenges successful managing tourism’s biology impact. In response, nan authorities is introducing a new Green Fee as portion of an summation successful its Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT). Starting January 1, 2026, nan TAT will summation by 0.75%, raising nan full to 11%. This summation is portion of nan state’s efforts to fund climate resilience and biology protection initiatives.

The costs generated by this interest will thief combat issues like coastal erosion, wildfires, and nan preservation of nan island’s biodiversity. Hawaii’s politician emphasized that these measures are important to maintaining nan islands’ earthy beauty for early generations of tourists.

Additionally, Hawaii’s counties tin enforce up to a 3% lodging tax, while nan authorities besides applies the General Excise Tax (GET) at rates between 4% and 4.5%, depending connected nan island. These taxes are applicable to each visitors staying successful hotels aliases different accommodations.

Moreover, cruise vessel passengers will look an 11% tax on their bills, starting in July 2026. This taxation will beryllium prorated based connected nan number of days they walk successful Hawaiian ports, providing an further gross watercourse for nan state’s tourism efforts.

Hawaii’s new Green Fee reflects an evolving attack to tourism that seeks to equilibrium economical maturation pinch biology sustainability. Travelers readying trips to Hawaii successful 2026 should facet successful these caller taxes, which purpose to support nan state’s semipermanent preservation.

2. Florida: Shift successful Use of Tourist Development Taxes (TDT)

Florida, 1 of nan largest tourer destinations successful nan U.S., has besides announced changes to its Tourist Development Tax (TDT) system. Starting January 1, 2026, Florida will displacement how TDT revenues are utilized, which could impact section tourism infrastructure and services.

Historically, TDT has been utilized chiefly for tourism marketing and promotional campaigns to pull visitors. However, nether nan caller framework, 25% of nan TDT gross will proceed to money these trading efforts, while nan remaining costs will beryllium redirected to offset region spot taxes. This displacement intends to supply further gross for section governments, which could person a important effect connected nan measurement tourism is marketed successful Florida moving forward.

This accommodation could lead to changes successful nan types of tourism initiatives that are funded, perchance reducing nan magnitude allocated for tourism infrastructure specified as public transportation, beachfront restoration, and different services that straight impact visitors. Travelers to Florida successful 2026 should beryllium prepared for imaginable adjustments in local tourism offerings due to this financial shift.

3. Federal Changes Affecting Tourists: Gambling Loss Deduction Cap

While individual states are implementing aliases adjusting taxes, federal changes also guidelines to effect visitors successful 2026, peculiarly those progressive in gambling activities. Starting January 1, 2026, nan U.S. authorities will present a cap connected gambling nonaccomplishment deductions. The caller norm will limit nan expertise of gamblers to deduct losses from their winnings to 90%, down from nan existent believe wherever losses tin beryllium deducted dollar-for-dollar up to nan full magnitude of winnings.

This alteration will chiefly impact visitors who sojourn states with casinos or different gambling venues, specified as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and parts of Mississippi. International visitors who bask gambling arsenic portion of their recreation acquisition whitethorn find themselves with higher taxable income if they do not meet the 90% cap on deductions.

The headdress connected gambling nonaccomplishment deductions is portion of broader tax reforms aimed astatine generating much gross for nan national government, while besides ensuring that individuals cannot usage gambling losses to importantly trim their taxation liability. Travelers should beryllium alert of this change, particularly those readying to sojourn gambling hubs successful nan U.S.

4. Other States’ Efforts and Proposed Taxes

While Hawaii and Florida are nan astir notable examples, different U.S. states are apt to present aliases proceed implementing various taxes related to tourism successful nan coming years. For example:

• California may research further taxes to money its ambitious climate alteration initiatives and support nan tourism industry’s carbon footprint reduction. Such measures could see taxes connected proscription and lodging aimed astatine promoting eco-friendly tourism options.
• Nevada, a authorities heavy limited connected tourism revenue, whitethorn increase hotel taxes to money authorities services aliases infrastructure improvements, peculiarly successful cities like Las Vegas, wherever tourism is simply a awesome economical driver.
• New York has agelong relied on hotel occupancy taxes, which could beryllium adjusted to bespeak nan increasing request for short-term rental accommodations, specified arsenic those listed connected platforms like Airbnb. These changes whitethorn not return effect until later successful nan decade, but they could importantly effect travelers to cities like New York City.

The Future of U.S. Tourism Taxes

The tourism scenery successful nan U.S. is evolving, with new taxes and fee increases aimed astatine improving infrastructure and ensuring nan sustainability of tourism successful nan coming years. From Hawaii’s Green Fee and the increase successful Transient Accommodations Tax to Florida’s displacement successful Tourist Development Tax use and national changes to gambling nonaccomplishment deductions, travelers heading to nan U.S. successful 2026 should enactment informed astir nan latest tax policies.

These caller measures bespeak nan increasing value of balancing economical maturation from tourism pinch nan request to money basal services, address climate change, and maintain infrastructure. As these changes return effect, visitors will request to set their budgets and plans accordingly. Whether visiting Hawaii’s beaches aliases gambling successful Nevada, travelers will play a cardinal domiciled successful supporting section and national economies done these taxes. Keep an oculus connected updates from section governments to guarantee a soft and informed travel to nan U.S. successful 2026.