Tourist tax chaos on the Baltic Sea: dog owners have to dig deep into their pockets!

Tourist tax chaos on the Baltic Sea: dog owners have to dig deep into their pockets!

The Baltic Sea is not only a popular holiday destination for families, but is also attracting more and more dog owners. But with the love of the coast comes a new regulation that is causing debate. From 2026, the financing of the tourist infrastructure along the Baltic Sea will be changed. A court ruling by the Greifswald Higher Administrative Court has decided that dog costs will be viewed as a general responsibility in the future. At the moment, dog owners in Binz on Rügen still pay two euros per dog per day, but this fee will no longer apply and all holidaymakers should take joint responsibility for dog-friendly offers, as moin.de reports.

The new set of rules is causing mixed reactions. While some welcome the regulation, there are also many critics who see the measure as a “rip-off” and are venting their outrage on social networks. So far, the income from the dog fee has flowed into various dog-friendly offers, including dog beaches and special facilities. Around 80 percent of the municipalities in Germany that are subject to a spa tax currently charge a dog fee, but many of them have not yet made a clear statement about the implementation of the ruling.

Spa taxes and their challenges

What many people don't know: The issue of spa fees doesn't just affect dog owners. In Heringsdorf, one of the popular Baltic Sea resorts, the Higher Administrative Court also made a decision on spa taxes. Spa clinics also have to pay here from now on, which has led to considerable dispute. The managing director of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania spa association, Annette Rösler, has expressed hope that the dispute will be resolved. The operator of a rehabilitation clinic had applied for the 2021 spa tax statute to be invalid because the calculation was incorrect. The court found that parts of the statutes were invalid - among other things because a ticket for local public transport was incorrectly included in the calculation. The Nordkurier reports on still open questions, including the financing of public institutions.

For holidaymakers themselves, the tourist tax of 3.40 euros per year will remain unchanged in 2026. This tax is used to finance public spa and recreational facilities as well as leisure activities. In the week of a holiday, the tourist taxes on the Baltic Sea are structured very differently, depending on the respective location. The [swp](https://www.swp.de/panorama/kurtaxe-fuer-hunde-hier- Werden-halter-jetzt-zur-kasse-gebeten-78232075.html) gives examples: In Glowe, for example, the dog tax is only 0.50 euros per day, while binz is in the upper price segment at 2 euros per dog per day.

A look at the dog tourist tax

The discussion about the dog tourist tax is a hot topic in many holiday regions on the North and Baltic Seas. More and more places are charging this additional fee to meet increasing cleanliness and infrastructure requirements. Places without this tax are the exception, such as larger parts of Usedom or North Sea islands such as Juist, Borkum and Norderney. Boltenhagen does not yet have a tax, but is planning to introduce it in 2026. The reasons for a lack of dog tourist taxes are often different; it depends on the region's marketing approach and whether the community is able to provide the necessary resources.

Overall, municipalities in northern Germany are facing pressure to maintain cleanliness in their areas while simultaneously financing tourism, which is proving to be quite challenging. With new regulations and the recurring discussions about the tourist tax, exciting changes are taking place. Anyone planning to travel to the Baltic Sea soon should thoroughly inquire about the relevant taxes and regulations to avoid surprises.