Tourists staying in Bucharest are now subject to a new overnight levy after the Romanian capital introduced an accommodation tax of 10 lei per night, equivalent to about €2 or roughly 3.91 leva. The measure has been in force since January 1 and, according to municipal estimates, is expected to bring in around 15 million lei annually, or close to €2.9 million, which equals approximately 5.67 million leva, for the city budget.

Local authorities say the additional revenue will be earmarked for tourism promotion campaigns and improvements to urban infrastructure aimed at visitors.

Bucharest is following a trend already established in other Romanian destinations. In Brasov and the nearby Poiana Brasov ski resort, tourists pay a combined daily charge of 12 lei, around €2.40 or about 4.69 leva, for each overnight stay.

Sibiu has chosen a different approach. From January 1, 2026, visitors accommodated in the city will be charged a hotel tax calculated as 2 percent of the total accommodation cost rather than a fixed nightly fee.

Other towns have introduced lower, flat-rate charges. In Câmpulung Moldovenesc, tourists pay 2 lei per day, equal to about €0.40 or roughly 0.78 leva, with children under the age of two exempt. In Târgu Neamt, the daily fee is set at 5 lei, approximately €1 or about 1.96 leva.

Comparable tourist taxes are already in place in destinations such as Oradea, Suceava and the Black Sea city of Constanța. In Oradea, the annual revenue from the levy amounts to about 1.5 million lei, or €296,000, which is roughly 579,000 leva. These funds are used solely to market the city as a tourist destination, according to municipal spokesman Octavian Haragoș, quoted by BNT.

In Constanța, the tourism tax generated nearly €700,000 last year, equivalent to around 1.37 million leva, with the proceeds directed toward promoting the seaside resort.

Despite the expected financial benefits, the decision has drawn criticism from representatives of the hotel sector. Industry groups argue that hotel operators were not properly consulted and that the measure was adopted too quickly. The Federation of the Romanian Hotel Industry has urged local authorities to reopen talks with the private sector, reconsider the current approach and ensure that any tourism-related taxation is tied to a clear, transparent strategy for promoting Bucharest as a destination.