Berlin accommodation tax increased

Going on a city-break to Berlin? What might scare you before your trip is the prices of accommodation. The German capital is not renowned for its cheap accommodation for tourists, and this is going to get even more expensive. The Berlin authorities have decided to raise the accommodation tax rate from 5% to 7.5%. The decision was announced at short notice and without prior public or industry consultation. The tax increase has been met with a lot of criticism from the tourism industry, which stresses that Berlin's hotel occupancy rates have still not recovered from the pandemic.