These European towns want you to hike and ski for free… after paying your tourist tax

In recent years, the decision by a destination to charge a tourist tax has been met with outrage. Take Venice, for example. In an effort to curb overtourism, the city chose to implement a fee for out-of-town travelers setting foot in the historic center during peak season—controversy ensued. In Austria, however, charging a tourist tax is nothing new. In fact, the resort town of Bad Ischl first demanded a ‘spa tax’ as early as 1842. 

In early 19th-century Austria, you didn’t get much in return for your tax dollars. But today there can be quite a few benefits. In the Tyrolean city of Kufstein, a tourist tax of EUR2.50 per person, per night, means every hotel guest is entitled to a free Kufsteinerland Guest Card.

I discovered these cards on a trip to Kufstein last spring, when I visited for a hiking and history-focused tour of the city. I’ve been offered public transport passes on business trips before, but those passes weren’t normally available for free to the general public. The Kufsteinerland Guest Card is available to anyone traveling for any reason.

And the card includes not just free public transit but access to the area’s biggest attractions too. Like free admission to Kufstein Fortress, an 800-year-old castle; a free ride up the Kaiserlift, a scenic chairlift for hundreds of miles of hiking and skiing trails; free use of city bikes; and a free tour of the Reidel glass factory. 

Taking part in any one of these will easily compensate for the tourist tax paid at check-in. It seems like more than a fair trade for a few euros per day.

The Kufsteinerland Guest Card was launched in 2019 in a bid to be more competitive with other Tyrolean destinations with similar offerings. The city hasn’t studied how many people choose Kufstein over other options because of the guest card’s free perks, but anecdotally, they know they’re working.

“A lot of people appreciate it,” Chiara Wörgötter of the tourism office says. “A lot of people know about it and heard about it, and actively ask the hotels for it.”

So, how does this benefit the town, if they’re footing the bill for the very attractions that draw people to visit in the first place? For one thing, Wörgötter says the cards encourage people to stay overnight rather than visiting just for the day. A large portion of Kufstein’s visitors are German-speaking tourists from nearby Germany or other parts of Austria, where it would be otherwise easy to daytrip.

Offering free public transit also encourages visitors to take buses rather than driving, renting cars, or taking taxis—making Kufstein a more sustainable destination. This fall, Austria’s Ministry of Environment even gave the city an Ecolabel certification.

Like the sound of exploring a destination with a similar guest card deal? Stretch your vacation budget further at these spots:

Black Forest, Germany

The Konus Card offers free transit throughout the Black Forest region, and is available to everyone staying at one of its 150 resorts. You must register with your host to get a free card. For an extra fee, the Schwarzwald Card offers free entry to thermal baths, seven scenic cable cars and ski chairlifts, and dozens of other museums and family-friendly attractions.

Dolomites, Italy

The Fiemme Cembra Guest Card offers free transit in Val di Femme and Trentino plus free or discounted entry to over 60 museums, castles, parks, and lifts for hiking and skiing around the Dolomites. To get one, you have to stay at least two nights in accommodations that are business partners of the region’s tourism board. If you stay elsewhere, you can get the Trentino Guest Card, which offers free transit and free or discounted entry to dozens of museums, spas, and ski areas.

Bolzano, Italy

The Bolzano Bozen Card offers free transit on local and regional buses, trains, cable cars, and funiculars in the South Tyrol region. You’ll also get a free one-day bike rental; guided city tours by foot and e-bike; a wine tasting; and daily round-trip rides on the Rittner Horn Ropeways, which offer access to stunning, panoramic hiking and ski trails. Over 90 museums grant free entry with the card, including the medieval Runkelstein Castle, South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, and Museum of Nature.

Zell am See, Austria

South of Salzburg, Zell am See is a stunning lakeside city with excellent access to hiking and ski trails. The free Zell am See Kaprun Summer Card is available from May 15 to October 31. Highlights include free access to hiking trails through the Kitzloch, Seisenberg, and Vorderkaser gorges and a free cable car ride to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier.

Ticino, Switzerland

Switzerland’s southernmost canton is a stunning, mountainous region which includes the lakeside city of Lugano. The Ticino Ticket offers free public transportation throughout the canton and free entry to a handful of museums and attractions, including the eclectic gardens of Scherrer Park. Over 100 other attractions offer a 20-30 percent discount with the ticket, including the Cableway Airalo-Pesciüm ski resort—which claims it has the most consistently optimal ski conditions in all the Alps.

Could the implementation of a beneficial tourist tax serve both travelers and the tourism office? Perhaps so, if they follow this model. 

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