Hotel rates
According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), hotel rates are expected to increase globally by 4% over the next few years.
This is partly due to demand outstripping supply in certain places, especially popular business hubs (Osaka and Venice, we’re looking at you—and a lot, apparently).
Price surges are becoming both increasingly common and more dramatic as hotels deal with rising costs for everything from expansions to staff salaries.
Additionally, hotels are increasingly relying on AI-based algorithms to use real-time data along with information about your personal spending habits to automatically adjust prices to the maximum amount you'd probably be willing to pay. While many properties have always hiked their rates during peak periods, there’s no denying that certain hoteliers are relying on new technology to unlock new lucrative streams of income.
For example, Atomize, which produces AI-powered software designed to automate dynamic pricing, recently claimed that its software enabled Kronen Hotels to increase its “rev par” (revenue per room) by 37% over the space of 18 months. Great for Kronen hotels, but not so great for you, the consumer.
Airport-related costs
Spend time flying internationally and you’ll soon realize that so-called duty-free bargains no longer exist.
But you don’t need to splurge on overpriced aftershave to hemorrhage cash at an airport. Ancillary airport costs are zooming skyward well before you reach your plane.
A few examples: In 2025, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport tripled its hourly parking rates, Denver International Airport increased usage fees that are tacked onto airfare so it can fund infrastructure improvements, and Richmond International Airport jacked up parking charges as a direct response to its own rising operational costs.
Those price hikes are not unique. Almost everything that costs money in an airport, whether it’s food and drink or the aforementioned aftershave, now costs slightly more for both the customer and the supplier.
“Airport fees have increased significantly due to rampant expansions as well as the construction of new terminal buildings, and travelers are partly financing this infrastructure work,” says Vukan Simic, founder of BoatBooker.com and expert on travel-related economics. “Parking fees, drop-off charges, and the cost of food and drink have all increased, and [they have because] airports recognize that they have a captive market,” says.
Airfares
World events such as the war in Ukraine have caused the cost of fuel to bloat—and fuel is one thing airlines use a lot of.
But there are other budgeting factors at play, too.
“As airlines deal with higher fuel prices, ongoing inflation, and staffing shortages, those pressures inevitably mean cost increases will trickle down to passengers,” says Harry Morgan, CEO and founder of private aviation operator Global Charter.
What’s more, many of us are still making up for the travel time we lost to Covid by traveling more than ever—something airlines are all too aware of by making sure flights remain as full as possible.
“With demand for air travel still growing steadily post-pandemic, carriers have the confidence to pass on more of those costs without seeing demand collapse,” says Morgan.
And then there’s the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme. Starting in 2027, airlines in 126 member states will be required offset growth in CO2 emissions. Some airlines, including Lufthansa, have already started raising the price you pay to offset these costs, adding what they’re referring to as “environmental cost surcharges".
Don’t expect airfare costs to fall any time soon, either.
“According to Reuters, U.S. ticket prices were up around 4% in July, and it's clear airlines are holding firm when it comes to higher baseline fares,” says Maisie Blewitt of Transfer Travel, which offers a secure marketplace for the resale of unused air tickets. “That means those spontaneous, last-minute bargains are going to become harder to find.”
Tourist taxes and travel authorizations
Tourist taxes are now common, no matter the destination.
In the EU, the ETIAS, required by travelers aged between 18 and 70 from 60 non-EU countries, including the U.S., Canada and Australia, will be introduced in 2026. It will cost €20 ($23) and will grant a three-year authorization for multiple short-term stays in the Schengen area.
In Japan, there are plans to increase the tourist tax paid on departure by foreign tourists from 1,000 Yen ($6.70) to 5,000 Yen ($33), and starting in March 2026, the city of Kyoto will impose a tenfold increase on its hotel tax. Japan's government says the hikes are a crucial part of its plan to reduce overtourism while funding infrastructure improvements.
And in the U.K., Wales, Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow are all expected to introduce a tourist tax in the near future. They're only a few of the places that are responding to tighter operating budgets by extracting more money from visitors.
Entry fees
Overtourism is also one of the reasons we’re seeing higher ticket prices at popular attractions. If you’ve vacationed abroad in the past year, you’ll almost certainly have noticed that admission to museums, galleries, theme parks, and other landmarks has become even more costly.
This is not only to offset the rising costs of everything, but also because authorities increasingly want both locals and residents of the destinations in question to benefit from (rather than feel aggrieved by) increased visitor numbers. When crowds surge, locals want to feel like the hassle is worth it, so prices go up.
Take Paris, one of the world's most popular destinations. From the start of 2026, non-European tourists will have to pay €30 ($35) to visit Paris’s Louvre Museum, and it’s expected similar increases will be rolled out at the Palace of Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Opéra Garnier.
In Japan, Himeji Castle has increased its fees for non-residents, and in 2024 a €5 ($5.80) fee was introduced for day trippers visiting Venice; in 2025, this fee was doubled to €10 ($11).
“These measures are important for protecting local communities and heritage sites, but they do make trips more expensive and less spontaneous,” says Blewitt at Transfer Travel. “If U.S. travelers aren’t aware of them before heading to Europe, they could face additional costs for booked tours or find planned activities disrupted."
Walt Disney World prices are also surging past the $200-per-day mark in 2026.
Blewitt predicts travelers will have to undertake more diligent advance planning to anticipate these increases, and the higher prices will also increase prices in places that are near popular destinations, as more travelers spill into them seeking cheaper alternatives.
"The reality is that travel isn’t just getting more expensive. It’s also getting more complicated," says Blewitt. "Travelers will need to budget carefully, plan ahead, or consider flexible resale options to keep their trips affordable and spontaneous."
Rental cars
Costs are set to increase for rental cars, too. One reason is rental agencies are paying to electrify their fleets.
Cox Automotive, the world's largest automotive services and technology provider, estimates that 87% of U.S.-based fleet owners will add more electric vehicles to their inventory between now and 2030. And that costs money.
Decreased competition is also to blame.
“The market had consolidated during the Covid-19 pandemic, so there’s now reduced competition, [which results in] higher prices,” says Simic. “
The good news is that this isn’t projected to be a huge increase. The GBTA estimates that in Canada, for example, rental costs will increase by slightly around 3%.
In Belgium, France, the U.K., and Germany, the increase is expected to be around 5% due to increased demand and labor shortages (especially in the post-Brexit U.K.).
However, car renters are also using artificial intelligence to scan returned vehicles for damage the human eye might miss, which could result in more fees for damage than have been levied in the past.