New Departure Tax Hits Travelers Comparing Exit Fees Across Popular Island Destinations in 2025

Post Published April 27, 2025

See how everyone can now afford to fly Business Class and book 5 Star Hotels with Mighty Travels Premium! Get started for free.






As of late 2024, departing the idyllic shores of the Maldives became pricier for many. The departure tax for those flying economy was increased to $50, up from the previous $30. This change, which took effect back on December 1, 2024, is just one piece of a larger picture involving rising costs for visitors to the archipelago. Higher up the cabin scale, passengers in business class now face a $120 departure fee, a substantial leap from $50, while first-class travelers are looking at a significant $240, more than double the prior $90. These adjustments, which specifically target foreign visitors upon departure, were put in place as the government aims to increase its revenue. Considering other fees levied on tourism have also seen hikes around the start of 2025, the total cost for travelers is clearly trending upwards. This situation adds another layer to consider when comparing the Maldives against other island destinations, particularly when factoring in the fees simply to leave.
Looking into the structure of travel costs, the Maldives has adjusted its departure tax for foreign visitors. Effective at the close of 2024, the fee levied on those flying economy class from the archipelago rose from $30 to $50. This modification wasn't limited to the lowest fare category; business class passengers now face a $120 charge, up from $50, while first-class travelers see a substantial leap from $90 to $240. Passengers utilizing private jets incur the highest revised fees. This legislative change, formally an amendment to the Airport Taxes and Fees Act, received parliamentary approval in October 2024, with the stated objective of augmenting state revenue streams. This increase in the airport departure tax should be viewed alongside other recent changes to the financial landscape for visitors, such as the increase in the Green Tax at the start of 2025 and a further hike planned for the Tourism Goods and Services Tax later in the year. These cumulative adjustments represent a discernible trend in how revenue is being sought from the tourism sector in this particular destination.

What else is in this post?

  1. New Departure Tax Hits Travelers Comparing Exit Fees Across Popular Island Destinations in 2025 - Maldives Departure Tax Jumps to $50 for Economy Adding to Tourism Fees
  2. New Departure Tax Hits Travelers Comparing Exit Fees Across Popular Island Destinations in 2025 - Bali Introduces $10 Exit Fee for International Travelers Starting June 2025
  3. New Departure Tax Hits Travelers Comparing Exit Fees Across Popular Island Destinations in 2025 - Hawaii Plans $25 Environmental Departure Tax for Non-Residents
  4. New Departure Tax Hits Travelers Comparing Exit Fees Across Popular Island Destinations in 2025 - Caribbean Islands Raise Exit Fees with Bahamas Leading at $35 per Person
  5. New Departure Tax Hits Travelers Comparing Exit Fees Across Popular Island Destinations in 2025 - Fiji Airport Tax Increases to $65 Making it Pacific's Most Expensive
  6. New Departure Tax Hits Travelers Comparing Exit Fees Across Popular Island Destinations in 2025 - Seychelles Keeps Exit Fees Steady at $15 Against Regional Trend





A man standing in front of a window at night,

Bali is implementing a $10 exit fee for international travelers beginning in June 2025. This new charge is being introduced as part of the local government's efforts to increase revenue generated from tourism and to better manage the environmental burden and overall impact that large visitor numbers have on the island. The stated goal is to help fund necessary infrastructure improvements and preservation initiatives. The fee isn't in isolation; it coincides with stricter enforcement of tourist behavior guidelines and other regulations aimed at ensuring visitors respect local customs and the environment. These measures, such as emphasizing polite conduct and potentially requiring licensed local guides, underscore the government's focus on aligning tourism with Balinese cultural values. While authorities emphasize the long-term benefits for the island, this additional $10 certainly increases the cost for anyone planning a trip. It signals Bali joining the ranks of destinations that are looking to travelers for more direct contributions to local finances and sustainability efforts, adding another line item travelers need to account for.
Starting June 2025, Bali is set to introduce a $10 exit fee for international travelers. This move aligns with the local government's stated objectives to bolster tourism funding and invest in infrastructure and resource management on the island. It reflects a continuing trend observed across numerous popular island destinations, where some form of departure tax is being implemented or adjusted, often as a mechanism to directly generate revenue from visitor flows.

Analyzing Bali's $10 fee within this broader context shows it sits at the lower end of the spectrum compared to some destinations. For instance, fees elsewhere can vary significantly, reaching upwards of $240 for certain cabin classes leaving places like the Maldives. The implementation in Bali is framed not just around revenue, which could exceed $100 million annually based on recent arrival numbers, but also as a tool to help manage the volume and impact of the significant influx of tourists—a growth rate notably exceeding 20% in prior years. From a systems perspective, such fees prompt adjustments across the travel ecosystem, from how airlines might factor this into pricing structures to potentially influencing traveler behavior, perhaps subtly encouraging slightly longer stays to amortize the fixed departure cost or simply being perceived as a small, necessary contribution tied to infrastructure upkeep. It's a balancing act, attempting to leverage tourism growth to support the destination itself.






Hawaii intends to introduce a $25 environmental tax specifically for non-residents leaving the islands, with implementation planned for 2025. The stated objective is to raise funds to protect the state's natural environment, which experiences considerable pressure from a high volume of tourists annually, around 9.5 million in recent years. This new fee would be collected from visitors staying in hotels or short-term rentals upon their departure. While the governor has described the proposed $25 charge as relatively minor, it's being added on top of what are already the highest lodging taxes in the United States, currently over 10% statewide with additional county taxes. Furthermore, legislative discussions are reportedly underway that could push the total accommodation tax rate even higher, potentially exceeding 18%. The proposal to levy this environmental tax has reportedly met with doubts from both locals and visitors concerning its real impact on conservation efforts and its potential effect on attracting tourists. It does fit into a wider global pattern of destinations exploring additional visitor fees, though this particular fee would position Hawaii on the higher end of such charges.
Looking at Hawaii, the plan involves implementing a $25 environmental departure charge specifically for non-residents, projected to begin in early 2025. The stated goal centers on generating funds to address the significant impact large visitor numbers have on the state's natural resources. Based on recent visitor statistics, this fee structure, targeting the majority of arrivals (estimated around 80%), could generate something in the realm of $30 million per year, a non-trivial sum intended for environmental conservation and resource management.

From a traveler's perspective, this $25 adds a notable fixed cost. Considering average airfares from the mainland, it represents roughly a 7% increase on the typical round-trip flight cost, a figure that might influence travel budgeting and potentially frequency for some. It positions Hawaii alongside other island destinations, both domestically like Puerto Rico and internationally as previously discussed, that are increasingly looking to direct traveler fees as a revenue mechanism. Given that over 90% of visitors arrive by air, the logistics of collecting this fee and its potential downstream effects on airline pricing strategies and route viability are interesting systemic questions. As visitor numbers have returned to high levels, exceeding nine million in 2024, the state is clearly seeking ways to finance the associated strain on infrastructure and environment, though questions linger about the long-term sustainability of relying heavily on visitor fees, and how this additional cost stacks up against destinations like Bali or the Maldives when travelers compare overall trip expenses.






An island in the middle of the ocean,

The islands of the Caribbean are certainly feeling the pressure of managing their popular tourist destinations, and many are adjusting costs charged to visitors. The Bahamas stands out with a notable increase, implementing an exit fee set at $35 per person for travelers. This move positions it as one of the higher charges seen in the region. It reflects a pattern emerging across the Caribbean where exit fees are increasingly viewed as a necessary stream for government income, sometimes specifically earmarked for things like environmental efforts or developing tourism facilities. While the Bahamas is currently leading with this figure, other islands are also busy reviewing and modifying their own fee structures, resulting in a patchwork of different amounts depending on where you go. For anyone looking to visit the Caribbean in 2025, these newly revised costs simply add another layer to the travel equation, directly impacting the total trip expense and requiring closer attention when trying to figure out which island offers the best value once everything is factored in. This trend toward higher departure taxes across the board does make one wonder about the long-term balance between funding destination upkeep and keeping these beautiful places accessible and affordable for the average visitor.
Examining the specific case of the Bahamas within the Caribbean, a notable development is the implemented departure charge levied at $35 per individual traveler. This valuation ranks among the higher fixed exit costs observed across frequently visited island destinations in the region. The direct financial impact escalates with party size; a typical family unit of four faces an additional $140 expenditure purely for departure, a sum not insignificant when factoring into overall trip budgets. A structural issue encountered by travelers is that such governmental fees are frequently excluded from the initial airline ticket price presentation, leading to a potential underestimation of total expenditure until later in the travel lifecycle. This lack of integrated pricing necessitates proactive research by the consumer to identify these discrete charges. When placed in context with observed increases in average airfares to the Caribbean basin, reportedly rising by approximately 15% since 2020, the cumulative effect of both transportation cost increases and these additional fixed departure fees presents a heightened financial threshold for potential visitors, particularly impacting budget-conscious travel segments.

The introduction and adjustment of these departure fees, exemplified by the Bahamas, align with a broader global trend where governing entities in tourism-reliant locales are increasingly utilizing direct visitor taxation as a mechanism for revenue generation and potentially offsetting the infrastructure and environmental costs associated with high visitor volume. While specific uses for the generated funds are sometimes delineated – cited as supporting local projects such as infrastructure enhancements – the primary effect on the traveler is an augmented cost baseline. This financial adjustment introduces a variable into traveler decision-making processes, potentially prompting consideration of alternative destinations with different fee structures or perhaps even subtly influencing the planned duration of stay, as a fixed departure cost can feel less impactful when amortized over a longer vacation period. Furthermore, in response to the accumulation of these disparate fees, travelers are observed employing strategic approaches, including the leverage of travel loyalty program benefits and accrued points or miles, as a method to mitigate the out-of-pocket cash requirement associated with these rising charges across the travel cost spectrum.






Fiji has implemented a very significant increase to its airport departure tax, with a clear trajectory upward. Starting January 1, 2024, the fee rose to $140, followed by another jump to $170 effective August 1, 2024. The fee is set to reach $200 effective August 1, 2025. This final figure positions Fiji's exit fee substantially higher than any other found across Pacific island nations. This series of steep increases is a deliberate measure outlined in recent government budgets, aimed at significantly boosting state revenue. For anyone planning a trip, this rapidly escalating cost to simply leave the country adds a considerable layer to the overall expense, potentially influencing whether Fiji remains a financially viable option compared to alternative destinations in the region or elsewhere that maintain much lower fees. It certainly makes the calculation for travelers much more complex.
Fiji has enacted a significant adjustment to its airport departure tax structure, setting the figure at $65. This specific rate, slated for implementation during 2025, is being characterized as the highest such fixed departure fee applicable within the Pacific island context. For individuals planning travel from Fiji, this constitutes a material addition to the overall expenditure, introducing a notable cost element separate from primary travel components like airfare.

Evaluating this rate against other departure charges encountered across the Pacific basin underscores its comparative scale. Although various islands utilize exit fees, the reported $65 amount for Fiji stands out. Such a substantial fee prompts analysis into its potential downstream effects on traveler decision processes and ultimately, destination demand within the competitive regional tourism landscape. It raises systemic questions about the point of balance between utilizing direct visitor charges for state revenue and potentially impacting the volume of inbound tourism necessary to sustain the broader economic ecosystem.






Seychelles continues to hold its main exit fee steady at $15, standing apart from the trend of increasing departure charges seen across many other island destinations. This choice comes at a time when the Seychelles tourism sector faces headwinds, including reduced direct flight options and increased competition from regional rivals. While the $15 fee offers a point of consistency for travelers comparing overall costs for a trip in 2025, potential visitors should note there are other fees, such as an embarkation fee introduced separately. Navigating these additional costs, alongside aspects like the process for potential VAT refunds, adds layers to understanding the full financial outlay for a visit. Despite these nuances, the stable $15 exit fee remains a contrast to the rising charges observed elsewhere.
Shifting our analytical lens to the Seychelles, a noteworthy deviation from the observed pattern of escalating travel costs emerges. As of this analysis point in late April 2025, this archipelago nation has held its airport departure fee steadfast at $15. This figure stands in stark contrast to the substantial increases documented elsewhere across popular island destinations, some now exceeding two hundred dollars depending on cabin class or specific taxation structures.

From a traveler's budgeting perspective, this stable $15 presents a degree of predictability often absent in the current landscape of fluctuating destination fees. While other destinations are actively recalibrating their financial models by extracting more revenue directly from departing visitors, the Seychelles appears to be maintaining a different posture. This could be viewed as a calculated approach to preserve cost competitiveness, particularly within the Indian Ocean region where neighboring islands have adopted notably higher charges.

Examining potential strategic underpinnings, maintaining a lower, stable fee might be intended to serve as an offsetting factor against other pressures on the tourism sector. Reports have indicated headwinds such as reduced direct flight connectivity impacting arrival numbers. In this context, keeping the exit fee at a comparatively low level could be seen as an effort to soften the overall financial impact on visitors and potentially enhance the destination's appeal when travelers weigh options amidst intensifying regional competition. The stability itself provides a clear cost marker, potentially simplifying travel planning and positioning Seychelles as a comparatively less expensive departure point in terms of direct governmental fees, a factor that could influence decision-making, especially for budget-sensitive travelers or larger groups.

See how everyone can now afford to fly Business Class and book 5 Star Hotels with Mighty Travels Premium! Get started for free.